The Life of a Rogue
by Vaneria Potter
Summary: Every Choice leads to a different path. What if Rogue never left the Brotherhood? What if certain events had played out differently? What if Mystique had been a better parent? Read and find out. UP FOR ADOPTION!
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men: Evolution. I know that I've pointed this out before.  
Summary: What if events in Rogue's life had played out differently? What if she never left the Brotherhood?  
A/N: For the purpose of the story, Rogue is Mystique's biological daughter. Bear with me._

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* * *

Prologue**

_Mystique's Point Of View_

I walk up to the stone building, originally a prison, but now turned orphanage. A commotion is stirred up as soon as a child catches sight of me. While my guise as an average, blonde-haired woman is not as remarkable as my natural blue-skinned, red-haired, golden eyed appearance, the possibility of someone being adopted is more than enough to cause a stir.

I entered the orphanage and looked around, searching for a particular face.

Irene had a vision recently, of a little girl who would grow up to be a very powerful mutant. If I can find her and raise her to our cause, it will be very beneficial.

I eventually catch sight of her under a tree, trying to read a book, even if she is only looking at the pictures. She is a small brunette with white stripes in her hair, framing her tiny face. Even as I watch, a few other children come up to her and, from the look of things, start to taunt her about something. Much to my delight and hope for the future, she does not take this lying down.

One of the orphanage workers is about to come over and break things up, but I intercept her. The other children stop fighting, obviously hoping to make a good impression on a potential foster-parent, but the girl continues to glare at them, then turns to me with a challenging look, as if daring me to disapprove of her actions.

Oh, but this girl is going to be an absolute delight! I smile at her and leave to find the orphanage director.

* * *

A few hours later, once I finish and mentally curse all the paperwork and calm down enough to collect my daughter, I am driving back home, my daughter sitting beside me. Her name is Anna-Marie, (now Anna-Marie Darkholme, I suppose) but she refuses to answer to her full name. In all fairness, I have to agree. Anna-Marie is a bit much for a four year old to be carrying around.

I have two sons. One is human, and hates my very existence. I blame his father for Graydon's hatred of mutants, although I share a good portion of the responsibility also. The other is a mutant, but doesn't even know that we are related. I wish that it were otherwise, but from my frequent, unobserved visits, I know that my younger son is loved and happy there.

And now I have a little daughter to spoil. Looking at her again, I feel something stir in my heart, and I mentally vow to be a better mother than I was with my sons.

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A/N: This is a story that I've been working on for a while. Tell me if you think it is any good or worth continuing._

_Thanks,  
Nat._


	2. Chapter One

_Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men: Evolution. I know that I've pointed this out before.  
Summary: What if events in Rogue's life had played out differently? What if she never left the Brotherhood?  
A/N: For the purpose of the story, Rogue is Mystique's biological daughter. Bear with me._

**

* * *

Chapter One**

"Rogue, come inside, please. Irene is coming to visit, and she'll want to see you."

My six-year-old daughter was playing with her friends in the street, with me keeping a close eye on her through the window and one of the other parents watching the group. I recently enrolled her in a gymnastics class, and she had been showing off to one of the neighborhood boys. Cody, I think his name is.

Rogue waves goodbye to her friends and comes inside. She is looking forward to this meeting a lot more than I am. Though she is blind, Irene seems to sense my pain, and lays a hand on my shoulder.

There are two things that we need to talk to Rogue about.

The first is that Rogue is not my adopted daughter, but my biological one. It was just as much a shock to me as it was her.

A fever had been going around the community, affecting mainly children, and the entire town, with the exception of those who had already had it and recovered, was being tested for warning signs. Rogue's test had come back clean just this morning, along with a DNA test of Rogue's biological parentage, which nearly gave me a heart attack.

Several years ago, I had been acting as the wife of an Austrian count, in the border of Germany and Austria and eventually bore him fraternal twins, a boy and a girl.

The girl looked normal, with the exception of the white streaks in her wispy brown hair, but the boy had my very obvious natural looks. The count and the people of the nearby town were very superstitious, and I fled before the mob that came marching for my son.

I fled to an old friend, a mutant named Magneto, leaving my children with him for a short amount of time while I sent the mob off on a wild goose chase.

I returned to find that he had sent my daughter to an orphanage overseas, and had been conducting experiments on my son. I fled with Kurt, but fell when crossing a bridge, dropping him. He was found by a gypsy family, the Wagners, and I spent the next few years searching for my daughter. I had given up hope when Irene contacted me with news of a vision concerning a child.

The second thing is the news that Irene will become Rogue's joint guardian.

Magneto tells me that something has happened to my son, Kurt. The fashion-challenged, metal-obsessed bastard says that he is alive, though no longer in the circus with the Wagners, and that if I do a few jobs for him, then he will tell me where to find my son.

This is worrying. My son looks like me, but unlike me, he cannot change to blend with a crowd. In the circus, he drew no more than a few strange looks, as people believed that he was just in costume. But if the Wagners have left the circus… I need to find Kurt, and at least see if he is safe.

Does Magneto have some strange need to meddle with the lives of my children? Kurt being raised by the Wagners is mostly his fault to begin with!

I have learned my lesson from last time, and am insisting on being told _every_ detail of a job before I go on it, and reserve the right to refuse one if I don't like what it entails.

Unfortunately, it seems that some of these jobs may take up to months to complete, and there is no way I am bringing my little Rogue along on missions! In ten years or so, maybe, but certainly not when she is only six!

I am broken out of my thoughts when Rogue bounces inside and immediately runs to hug me.

Over the two years that we have had together, Rogue has blossomed under my care. Dragging forth maternal instincts I didn't even know I _had_, Rogue has transformed from a stubborn, willful child, sad and lonely, to a bright little girl, shining with energy and life. Sometimes a bit _too_ much energy, and she has kept the stubborn streak, but she is all I could ever ask for in a daughter. I start to speak, but Rogue has already noticed Destiny standing nearby. She squeals, and runs over to hug her as well. "Auntie Irene!"

Destiny laughs. "Hello, child. Be careful of the footstool."

Rogue blinks and looks around as she guides Destiny into the living room. "What footst-? " Rogue sees the mentioned piece of furniture just in time to avoid tripping over it. "How do you do that?"

Irene and I laugh again. "You will find out when you are older, little one. Now, your mother and I need to talk to you about something…"

_

* * *

Rogue's Point Of View_

I don't remember much of my life before Mama adopted me, but I know that now I have a Mama who loves me and Auntie Irene who will helps after me when Mama has to go away. Mama adopted me when I was four. That was eight years ago, and I have never regretted a second of it.

I am standing on the sidewalk, waving goodbye as Mama has to leave on another one of her trips. I go back inside, still thinking about what Mama and Auntie Irene told me yesterday.

Mama says that I have two brothers, as well, but when I first asked if I could see them, Mama looked sad, and Auntie Irene said that one lives a long way away and won't come to visit, and that the other one had to leave when he was a baby, but I'll meet him again when I'm older.

They also told me about mutants.

Mutants are people with special gifts, but they have to hide their gifts, because humans (or 'Normals' or 'flatscans', but Irene disapproves of the last one, so I don't use it) will fear us and our gifts, so we have to wait for the right time.

Mama and Aunt Irene are mutants, too. Mama can change the way she looks, turn into an exact copy of anyone she likes. We've made it into a game. Mama will shape-shift and I'll try to pick her out in places like the park. Mama says that it will also help my observational skills.

Aunt Irene is what they call a Pre-Cognitive. She can see into the future. Guess that explains why I could never sneak out of the house without permission.

Aunt Irene also said that I am a mutant, though my powers haven't been activated yet. She doesn't know what my gift will be; only that it will make me very powerful, and that it will be activated by touching my skin.

Mama says that we will have to pretend that I have some kind of skin condition, and that when my powers activate, there will be a lot of people who will want me to join them.

This is giving me a headache.

* * *

Four years have passed since I learned about the existence of mutants. 

Mama says that a powerful Telepath named Xavier is gathering mutants to form a team, a team that he is calling: the X-Men.

I nearly fell over laughing at that. I wonder how many recruits will change their minds about joining him when they find out what they are going to be called. It sounds like something out of a bad comic book.

Mama is also gathering a team, but she is collecting the Misfits that Xavier is passing over, the ones who would never fit into Xavier's upper-class lifestyle.

Mama and Destiny think that Xavier will come and try to recruit me when my powers show up. Destiny has it narrowed down to somewhere in the next few days.

Mama and Destiny and I all decided that I am not joining Xavier. Mama came home fuming about a month ago because Xavier got his hands on my brother Kurt before Mama could find him.

Magneto is not among Mama's favorite people right now. Not that he ever was to begin with.

Destiny says that when my powers activate, it will be very disorienting for me. She and Mama will have to do something drastic to even get my attention, and then we will have to put on some kind of show to give the X-Men some reason for me not joining them, otherwise they are unlikely to ever leave me alone.

That doesn't matter at the moment, though. Cody talked me into coming to a school dance, and I finally agreed, despite my usual avoidance of crowds.

* * *

I am outside, taking a breath of fresh air, when Cody approaches. It looks like one of his friends has poked him into finally asking me to dance. 

Cody is my friend, but it was funny watching him stumble over himself trying to ask me. I thought about saying no, but he gave me the woeful look that makes anyone cave in seconds.

I was actually enjoying dancing with Cody, up until one of his friends bumped into him, knocking us both over. Cody helped me up, but that was when disaster struck.

Cody touched my bare skin, and then a jolt went through both of us, and the last clear thing I remember was seeing Cody collapse.

_

* * *

Destiny's Point Of View_

I am sitting at home while Rogue is at a dance, then I get hit by a vision of Rogue and her powers. It will happen at the School Dance! Oh, my dear child, if I could only spare you this!

I immediately call Raven, who is originally due back tomorrow morning. Raven is approaching Hysterical as we talk on the phone and she returns as fast as possible. By the time I pick her up at the airport, Raven is not thinking clearly. She is also far from happy with Magneto for the timing. Rogue has run all the way from the dance to Cody's house, his memories still strong in her mind. By the time we reach her, Cody's parents are returning from their night out. Raven goes in to get her out of the house, while I wait outside, catching Rogue and trying to calm her down.

It is working, until Raven comes out of the house, but forgets to change back into her usual disguise. Rogue instantly panicked, and ran off again. It is times like this I could curse Raven for encouraging her love of athletics.

Rogue and Raven finally returned in the early hours of the morning. Somewhere along the line, Raven has shifted back to the familiar blonde identity that our small town recognized as Rogue's mother. We gently put Rogue to bed, as we did when she was younger, and the poor girl falls asleep almost instantly.

After making sure that she will sleep relatively calmly, Raven and I go back to the living room to discuss what happened, how we will help Rogue deal with it, and how to explain what happened. The circumstances in which Rogue's powers appeared have been somewhat traumatic, and we will need to discuss what to do next.

With all the witnesses, Rogue cannot stay in Caldecott County, and it would seem unusual for only one of us to go.

* * *

The next morning, we let Rogue sleep in. She deserved her rest, poor child. She finally came downstairs to the smell of a late breakfast, and her eyes lit up at seeing Raven, and we ate breakfast as a family, which I knew we would not do again for several months. 

After breakfast, we sit down together, gently coaxing Rogue through what she remembers of last night. Most of it is a blur, but Rogue's clearest memories are of the dance, and of when she was teleporting all over the graveyard with her brother's powers. Perhaps it has something to do with being related?

Rogue is understandably upset when she finds out that Mystique had been impersonating the X-Men, but cools down fairly quickly. Raven has obtained a position as the Principal of Bayville High School, and that is where she and Rogue will be moving. I will be moving to the city and working in the stock market. We do not have Xavier's resources, after all, and one of Raven's recruits can cause earthquakes. One does not need to be a Pre-Cog to know that repairs for structural damage will be needed. Frequently.

Tomorrow, we will leave, and one path for the future has been chosen, for better or worse.

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A/N: OK, Chapter One. Chapter Two is in the works and should be up soon. I am hoping to post one chapter a week, but between classes, looking for a job and a probable move, dates may vary a bit.  
Meanwhile, take ten seconds to leave a review and tell me what you think. I really hate begging for reviews, but opinions and comments for possible ideas are very welcome.  
Seriously, Chapter One has over two hundred hits and only five reviews. This story is on 6 alerts and 1 favorites list. If you have enough time to be reading fanfiction, then you have enough time to review it._

_Thanks,_

_Nat_


	3. Chapter Two

_Disclaimer: Not again! You know the drill by now. I don't own it._

_Summary: See Previous Chapters._

_A/N: My beta is going to be unavailable for the unforseeable future, so if anyone spots any mistakes, please let me know._

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* * *

Chapter Two**

Finishing her Anne Rice novel and placing it back on her small bookshelf, Rogue looked around her new room. It was one of the larger bedrooms in a property Mystique had bought in a place called Bayville, redundantly known as 'the Brotherhood of Bayville Boarding House'.

It was also something of a dramatic irony, as it would be used as a home and training grounds, much like Xavier's Mansion, for the Brotherhood of Mutants. Already in residence were Mystique herself, Todd "Toad" Tolensky, Lance "Avalanche" Alvers, and now Rogue.

It wasn't Aunt Irene's home in Caldecott County, but the Boarding House wasn't so bad, in its own way. Toad and Avalanche were both 'children of the System', and had been highly worried that Mystique wouldn't just throw them out when Rogue had arrived. It had taken a while, but the three teens were warming up to each other, at least to the point that they could stand to be in the same house together, even if they were still working out a few points.

Todd had some serious issues with personal hygiene, and had to be bullied into taking more than one shower a month, not to mention eating flies. Lance frequently came up with truly dreadful rock puns, and his infatuation with X-Geek Kitty Pryde had the other two questioning his taste. Rogue had never been the most social of people, especially now that her mutation had kicked in, and had inherited her mother's gift for sarcasm.

It made for a very dysfunctional little family, but Rogue found herself enjoying the new situation, despite having to attend school with the X-Men, who seemed to be having trouble with the fact that she didn't want to join them.

Mystique had gone out that night, apparently to recruit another mutant, known as the Blob. By all reports, the name was accurate, as something about his mutation made him unable to lose weight. He was also strong enough to lift a van, largely immune to physical damage, and completely un-movable.

A new voice from downstairs floated up, alerting Rogue that Mystique had been successful in her efforts. Closing the wardrobe, Rogue headed downstairs to meet him, and intimidate Toad into the concept of personal hygiene. Again.

* * *

Blob was even larger than she had expected, easily six and a half feet tall. Toad was looking very apprehensive, Mystique was discussing something with Lance, and the Blob looked awkward, even shy, in his new surroundings. This was confirmed when he spotted Rogue. "Uh, hi. I'm Fred, but most people call me the Blob." 

Rogue nodded. "Ah'm Rogue. So y'all are the new recruit Mama was talkin' about?"

Blob blinked in surprise. "The blue lady is your mum? Yeah, I guess so."

Rogue smirked. "Not much of a family resemblance, Ah know, but yeah, she's mah mama. It's good to have you join us."

Blob smiled shyly. "Thanks. Are you guys having dinner soon?"

Mystique interjected. "Good question. Whose turn is it to cook, anyway?"

Rogue laughed inwardly; this was one of the main points of contestation in the Brotherhood. Mystique was an acceptable cook, and Rogue had learned when she was living with Irene, but neither of the two women wanted to cook every day. Unfortunately, Toad's idea of a good meal was flies, with a cockroach or two thrown in for seasoning, and Lance's culinary skills were limited to picking up the phone and ordering take-out. "It's Toad's turn, but Ah'll swap if he and Lance will take mah laundry duty."

Lance grinned at her behind Toad's back as they walked off to collect the laundry basket. Finally sick of Toad's aversion to hygiene, the two had worked out a plan a few days ago. Toad didn't enjoy cooking, so it would be easy for Rogue to make him swap chores. In light of this, a large tub of warm water was waiting in the laundry room, and Lance was strong enough to get Toad in and make him wash, whether the amphibious mutant wanted to or not.

Rogue turned and headed toward the kitchen, mentally running over what to make as a 'Welcome to the Boarding House' meal, when Blob spoke again. "Hey, you want some help? I should probably do something to help out."

Rogue blinked. Volunteering to help was a surprising offer. Actually, the fact that he even made the offer was surprising. "Sure, if you want. Ah wouldn't have pegged y'all for the cookin' type, though."

Blob gave another shy smile. "I like to eat, but not everyone in the show is a good cook, or has the time, so I had to do it myself. I'm still not that good yet, though."

Rogue let lose a tiny smile. "Neither is anyone else in this place. You'll improve with practice. Now, come on, do you have a favorite dish you want to make?"

* * *

The next morning was a Sunday, which meant trying to keep cereal bowls upright while fighting ever the best seat and the TV remote to watch Sunday morning cartoons while Mystique watched and tried not to laugh at them. 

The rest of the day was spent showing Fred around Bayville and explaining how things worked. Mystique explained about the X-Men and how they worked as they got ready for school on Monday, as the Brotherhood planned to let Fred settle in for a few days while Mystique got the paperwork in order before bringing him to school on Friday.

Friday rolled around, and Mystique gave Blob a quick review on the way to Bayville High. Upon arrival, Blob and Mystique headed to the Principal's office to collect Blob's timetable, and the other three teens promised to point them out during lunch, as Blob had to sit through an introduction meeting with 'Principal' Darkholme, then none of their morning classes matched.

Rogue's last class before lunch was Literature. Normally, Rogue would have enjoyed the class, if the teacher's voice was anything other than a sleep-inducing drone. Trying desperately not to fall asleep on her desk, Rogue was only half listening when the teacher handed out books, pairing a few of the students up for the Drama scenes they would be doing.

Dragging herself away from dreamland, Rogue perked up slightly at the teacher's announcement that she and her partner would be doing _Henry V_. Rogue would never admit it, but she had enjoyed acting, especially when she had to pretend to have a 'skin condition'.

Rogue's mood plummeted again, however, when she discovered that her partner was going to be Scott Summers. Of course, Cyclops didn't look overly thrilled to be paired with a member of the Brotherhood, either. One of his friends, Paul, sitting beside him, had the guts to vocalize the class' general thoughts. "Lots of luck, Scott. I don't think Miss Small, Dark and Sullen ever said two words. You'll wind up having to play both parts yourself."

The rest of the class found this very amusing, as the teacher told them to settle down. Rogue reminded herself to brush up on her Death Glares, and use Paul as a test dummy. Scott twisted in his seat to look at her. "Hey, are you okay with all this?"

Rogue narrowed her eyes, inwardly snickering. He sounded almost scared at the prospect of working with her. Time to up the apprehension. "Ah'm not afraid of you."

It was impossible to see Cyclops's eyes behind the glasses, but the rest of his face didn't show any signs of reassurance, only confusion. "I never said you should be."

Hmph. It looked like the X-Geeks had tried to put their botched recruitment effort behind them. Time for a little reminder. "Just tell you're weird friends to keep their distance this tahme."

Scott winced. Paul snickered. "Oh, yeah, she likes you. She's just playing hard to get."

Rogue rolled her eyes, indulging herself in the wistful possibility of getting Toad to slime the idiot's locker, and hoped that the bell would ring soon.

* * *

After asking Toad to slime Paul's locker, Rogue left him to his 'pre-lunch protein' snack and headed toward the cafeteria, looking for Blob and Lance. Hearing the chaos inside, particularly Fred's angry yell, several Jocks' taunting, and loud laughter, Rogue decided to wait before entering. This turned out to be a good idea, as a few seconds later there was a minor stampede of fleeing students. Waiting for them to pass, Rogue looked back into the cafeteria just in time to see Kurt disappearing with a _bamf_ and a cloud of smoke, and Kitty drop through the floor with a loud complaint. 

When things calmed down enough for Rogue to try an entrance, she looked inside to see Jean trying to calm Fred down, and a reluctant Scott leaving the cafeteria. Watching from behind an open locker door, Rogue managed to conceal a contemptous noise. She may have just joined the Brotherhood, but none of them would have simply walked off in a situation like that. At the very least, they would have stayed within hearing range. "Y'all really look out for each other, don't ya?"

The sarcasm flew completely over his head. "Yeah. Yeah, we do."

Rogue was saved from a reply by the arrival of her mother in her 'Principal Darkholme' disguise. Obviously having heard the commotion from her office, Mystique was not amused. "What's going on here?"

Not having heard her mother's approach, Rogue jumped. "N-nothing!"

Given her mother's expression, Rogue was not surprised when Cyclops backed her up. "Yeah, Principal Darkholme, we were just talking."

Mystique had just glanced into the disaster zone that was the cafeteria, and did not look any happier, although that might have had something to do with the fact that Blob was now having a mostly rational conversation with Jean Gray. Obeying her mother's testy order to stop talking and get to class, Rogue barely acknowledged Scott's call to meet in the park after school to rehearse.

The final bell rang, and Rogue practically ran out of the Biology classroom. Meeting her mother outside the office, they walked down to the car together. Usually parked next to, or within sight of Lance's jeep, the walk meant both a small, private chat between the two, and also an opportunity to make sure that the boys actually left campus, as opposed to after-school trouble making.

Normally, Rogue would ride home with her mother, but she saw Scott waving to her from the park. Somehow restraining a sigh, Rogue headed over, resigning herself to an afternoon spent with an X-Geek.

After several minutes working on the play, Rogue had to admit that Cyclops was a decent guy, when you convinced him to relax slightly and removed the stick from his backside. Besides, the role of Princess Kate was an interesting one, even if she had to work a bit at pretending to not understand a word of English.

"_Pardonnez-moi? _I cannot tell what is 'like me'?"

Scott was trying, at least, although Rogue was slightly miffed that he was obviously trying to pretend that he was talking to Jean. "An angel is like you, Kate, and you are like an angel."

Not bad, but she couldn't let him get too comfortable. "The girls are rahght, you are a charmer."

Scott sounded uncomfortable and slightly annoyed. "Look, I'm just reading the lines, okay?"

Rogue sighed. She was really going to kill whoever had started that rumor about her having a crush on Cyclops. "Yeah, Ah know, sorry."

Cyclops brushed it off, and put aside the playbook for a bit. Before any real conversation could be started up, however, Kurt teleported in scarcely a few inches away from them, nearly giving Rogue a heart attack in the process. "Whoa, interrupting a tender moment here?"

The expression on Scott's face was priceless. Waving away the sulphurous smoke, Rogue covered her amusement with an irritated look. "Ah swear, he's lahke an annoyin' little brother!"

The brief flash of panic she felt at her choice of words was quickly eclipsed by the news Kurt carried. It seemed that Miss Gray had been kidnapped by Blob. Knowing Fred and his rather obvious (and hopefully fleeting) crush, Rogue thought it far more likely that it was a bungled attempt at taking Jean on some sort of date.

Of course, Cyclops had a tendency to over react when it concerned his beloved red-head. "What?"

He grabbed Kurt, and Rogue had to hide another giggle at her brother's reply. "Easy on the exquisite costume, _mein freund_. Wolverine is on the scent, but I'm supposed to get you."

Cyclops also tended to jump to the worst conclusions. "Blob! If he's hurt her I'll - ," He cut off suddenly as Rogue turned away to hide an eye-roll. "Do you know anything about this?"

Rogue's eyes flashed as she turned to glare at him. How dare he accuse her like that, labeling her as guilty by association. If Blob had a crush on Miss Grey, then that was his bad taste, but nothing to do with Rogue. Well, there went any offer of assistance! "No! Even if Ah did, Ah wouldn't tell you!"

Cyclops glared and snapped off some sanctimonious nonsense about living with herself if anything happened, then ported off with Kurt. Rogue mused that she had been rolling her eyes a lot lately. Who had introduced her brother to Star Trek?

Waving away the cloud of brimstone, Rogue's eyes fell on the playbook that Scott had left behind. Oh, Damn. Today was Friday, and she had a doctor's appointment on Monday. The performance was due on Tuesday. Unless she wanted to fail a quarter of her grade, she would need to track Scott down and set up another rehearsal. As the X-Men were unlikely to let her within ten meters of the Institute gates, that meant she had to find him now.

* * *

Rogue tracked Wolverine's motorcycle tracks as best she could, trying to reason out where Blob could have taken Little Miss Annoying. No where public, that was for sure; he would be nervous enough on a date, never mind the risk of having people laugh at him and losing control. 

Somewhere that the X-Men were unlikely to look, which ruled out most of the other 'date' spots.

Somewhere that would feel relatively familiar or safe for Blob, but eliminating the Boarding House, as there was no way Mystique would let any of the X-Geeks in there to pass on the Football Game Results, let alone for a date.

Hm, the Monster Trucks Rally was held near the warehouse district, which fit all of the above criteria. She would call her mother to explain what had happened, then start looking from there.

* * *

There was no sign of anyone at the Warehouses, but there was a very loud commotion coming from the old ironworks nearby. It was a fairly safe bet that Rogue had just located her missing team mate. Muttering darkly under her breath, Rogue headed toward the ironworks, just in time to see Cyclops go flying out the door and crash into Wolverine's prized motorcycle, out cold. 

From the snarls and yells inside, it sounded like both Wolverine and Blob were on full blown rampages, and Wolverine was only likely to get worse when he saw what had happened to his bike. Absorption was not going to be enough to keep her safe in this situation, and she would need something long-distance. Luckily for Rogue, she had such a source close to hand. Slipping off a glove and murmuring an apology, she touched Cyclops's face, draining some of his powers.

Barely a second later, she knew that it had been a huge mistake.

* * *

As the sounds of fighting grew more intense, Rogue waged her own internal fight with Cyclops's mind, each struggling for dominance. She would have to tell Avalanche that he was wrong, and Cyclops did have a personality, and a damn stubborn one, at that. 

This lapse in concentration cost Rogue, as Cyclops took the opportunity to surge up, temporarily gaining control. A wave of protectiveness took over Rogue's body, and she ran to the ironworks, shooting an eyebeam at Blob, who was busy squashing Wolverine.

It distracted him for a moment, but not long enough as Blob prepared to squash Jean. Rogue tried to assert her mind as Cyclops/Rogue got mad. Rogue shrieked mentally as Cyclops/Rogue yelled vocally, '_Get outta mah mahnd-'_ "Leave her alone," "_ya yahoo!"_

Blob only glared. "What're ya gonna do to me, make me wear bad make-up?"

Rogue's mind wrestled a small amount of control back, just enough to stop Cyclops's less than stunning reply and inject her own. "Didn't Mystique tell ya what mah power is?"

Blob sneered at her as Cyclops's mind managed to take the upper hand again. "No, and I don't care."

The anger and protectiveness that was definately Cyclops overtook her again as Cyclops/Rogue and Blob exchanged blows. "Mah power is your power, and Ah can take more than one!"

Rogue threw herself backward and flipped Blob over her head, following up with another eye-blast, sending him flying to be buried in a pile of spare parts. Cyclops made one more effort in her mind and managed to take over. Rogue had no control over voice or action, and focused every ounce of her will in taking back her mind as Cyclops/Rogue ended the fight by slamming Blob through the roof.

Mentally decking the Cyclops inside her mind, Rogue came back to herself just as she was finishing an explanation to Cyclops. Recognition of her actions came flooding back, nearly knocking her over as Jean Gray asked why she helped them. Overcome with horror at what she had done to her team mate, Rogue could only stammer, "Ah don't know, Ah just don't know!"

She needed to get away. She needed to explain things to the Brotherhood and apologize to Blob. She needed her mother. Breaking away from the X-Men, Rogue ran as fast as her legs could carry her, vaguely hearing Wolverine telling the others to let her go.

* * *

By the time she reached the Boarding House, Rogue was in a full blown panic. Lance and Todd looked up from fighting over a comic, starting toward her, but Rogue speed by them, running upstairs to her mother's room, not even bothering to knock. Mystique's head snapped up, and she quickly moved from her desk, drawing her sobbing daughter into a comforting embrace as she shook from post-adrenaline shock, babbling out an explanation. "Ah didn't mean to, Mama. Ah thought it would be good to take precautions, but Ah didn't know his psyche would take meh over lahke that. Ah didn't want ta hurt Blob, Ah swear!" 

It took several minutes to calm Rogue down enough to get a coherent version of events, by which time Lance and Todd had also made their way upstairs. Just as Rogue was starting to breathe normally again, the door slammed downstairs, heralding Blob's arrival.

Rogue froze, her eyes wide. Lance placed a hand on her covered forearm. "We'll take care of it, Roguey. You stay here and calm down while we explain things to him."

Mystique waited a few moments as the boys left, then also rose to her feet. "Go and wash your face, dear. I'll fill in the details that the boys miss, and then I'll see what we can do about finding a way to control the psyches."

Rogue did as her mother said, then took a deep breath and headed downstairs to apologize. Thankfully, Blob hadn't seemed the type to hold grudges, and probably wouldn't hold it against her for too long.

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A/N: OK, we have the next chapter up! It was harder to write than I thought, so drop a review and tell me what you think. Constructive criticism is welcomed, pointless flames are laughed at.  
Alerts are very nice, and tell me that at least someone is reading, but suggestions and comments are even more appreciated. (hint, hint)  
Prologue has 6 reviews. Chapter One has 2 reviews and 64 hits. Lets try for a few more reviews for this chapter, shall we?  
_

_Next Chapter will be up next week._

_Thanks, Nathalia._


	4. Chapter Three

_Disclaimer: As usual.  
__Summary: Likewise.  
A/N: **I AM A PUBISHED WRITER!!! One of my original poems is published on the front page of a book titled 'Forever Spoken'! Availabe on Amazon . com online shopping! **Can you tell I'm excited?  
If anyone is interesed in the actual poem, tell me in a review, leave an address and I'll send it to you.

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_

**Chapter Three**

It had taken a chilly few days, but Blob had eventually calmed down and stopped glaring at Rogue whenever he saw her. Meanwhile, Scott's personality had finally died down, much to everyone's relief.

Given Rogue's usual dislike of Jean Grey, she was profoundly disturbed to find herself having to concentrate hard to avoid staring wistfully at the red-head. The boys were just relieved that she had managed to drop the straight-laced attitude, which really didn't work in the not-so-disciplined setting of the Brotherhood Boarding House.

In light of the incident, Mystique and Irene were looking through their contacts to see if they knew anyone who could help Rogue with the visitors inside her mind, and Rogue couldn't wait to get started. She wouldn't even mind postponing the ability to touch, if it convinced mind-Cody and mind-Cyclops to stop the macho posturing inside her brain.

A fortnight passed relatively without incident, if you ignored the usual squabbling between Brotherhood and X-Men, and it was another Monday when Mystique came downstairs for dinner with news, having just come off a long conversation with her 'employer'. "It seems that the X-Men are recruiting again. The Weather Witch's nephew, as it happens."

Oh, joy, another X-Man to annoy and be annoyed by. Lance muttered something under his breath and received an admonishing look from Mystique. Blob shrugged and reached for the last roll. Toad thumped his head on the table. "Ow."

Rogue had snatched his plate out of the way just in time, and rolled her eyes at the amphibious mutant. "Serves you right. Any idea what this new boy's powers are, Mama?"

The shape-shifter nodded. "We believe that he can shoot bone spikes from his body. He is also hot-headed and stubborn, and seems to be carrying a grudge against someone. Please try not to get into an open confrontation with him until we know more."

The Brotherhood teens nodded. "Gotcha, Boss-Lady." "Yes Mama."

Rogue was rising to put her plate in the dishwasher when Mystique stopped her. "Oh, and Rogue, I got in touch with an old friend, Agatha Harkness. She says that she may be able to help you learn control."

Rogue's face broke into a rare, brilliant smile as she nearly dropped her plate. That was wonderful news! This time, Toad's tongue lashed out to catch Rogue's plate before it shattered. It sucked that Rogue was the only one with her powers not under control. "Hey, I got Matthews's wallet at assembly today; who wants ice-cream to celebrate?"

Rogue grinned at Todd's obvious glee at getting the better of Duncan Matthews. Not that she could blame him for hating the jerk. Rogue's smile grew as everyone made a rush for seating in Lance's jeep. Ah, life with the Brotherhood. Nothing like it.

* * *

The next day, the lunch bell had barely rung before the Brotherhood were snickering about the new X-Man. Toad had classified him as 'a rebellious sk8er boi, yo', and he seemed to have very little respect for Xavier's strict rules. While the Brotherhood couldn't really blame him, it was also obvious that Spyke had no respect for Scott and Jean's supposed 'Authority'. 

This fact was confirmed over the course of the next week, as 'Spyke' continued to go his own way, without letting go of his apparent vendetta. Naturally, the X-Men were struggling on how to deal with this attitude.

Naturally, the Brotherhood found the whole thing very amusing, and took every opportunity to point and laugh.

* * *

Meanwhile, Rogue had started lessons with Agatha Harkness, an actual witch, who was supposedly a survivor of the original Salem Witch Trials. It was a sensitive topic, and Rogue hadn't pressed the question.

They had started with meditation, as a way for Rogue to clear and organize her mind, laying a foundation to get the voices under control.

It was slow progress, and often frustrating, but well worth the struggle.

* * *

It was the next Monday (not again – why did things always happen on Monday?) when Mystique called the Brotherhood up to her office at lunch with news. They were to wait for her in the sitting room while she held a meeting with someone. Ever obedient, they waited outside, without even a complaint. 

Or rather, they waited quietly until the secretary had gone on her break, and then crowded at the office door to eavesdrop.

After a brief but silent scuffle, Rogue gained rights to the keyhole, whispering the details of the conversation within. "Get off mah foot, Todd. They're talkin' about some speed demon mutant. Pietro Maximoff, and apparently of 'particular interest', don't know whah. Bit of trouble recruitin' him, boy thinks he doesn't need anyone."

Blob leaned closer, somehow managing to keep his voice down. "Anything else, Roguey? What are they doing?"

Rogue glared at him. "Nothin' if y'all don't shut up and let meh listen! Ooh, Maximoff has a rivalry with the new X-Geek! Something about Pietro havin' the upper hand rahght now and being the object of Daniels's vendetta. They're talkin' about how to bring Pietro over ta Bayville. Ah, shite, meeting's over! Move!"

The Brotherhood engaged in a mad, but silent scramble to get away from the door before either adult came out, and had just achieved their original positions when Mystique came out of her office. By her expression of annoyed amusement, they hadn't fooled her, but she made no mention of it as she ushered them into her office. "I will assume that you already know the details of my meeting?"

The Brotherhood squirmed, but didn't deny it. Lance answered for all of them. "Yeah, we overheard a few things, Boss-Lady. Does this mean we're getting a new member, as well?"

Mystique sighed and removed her glasses. "It would appear so. Now, on to the things that you did _not_ overhear. Pietro Maximoff is the son of the man I was talking with and, like him, has a vastly over-estimated idea of his own importance. When Pietro joins us he will very likely be an arrogant, confrontational brat, as he knows his abilities and is a bit too proud of them. In spite of this, I hope you will be patient as he learns his place in the Brotherhood."

Rogue nodded. "We'll try. But if Pietro is Magneto's son, why was he so impersonal when the two of you were talking? I mean, saying you have a 'vested interest' in your own child! How does that work?"

Mystique closed her eyes. "Magneto is focused on his mission, what he sees as his duty to Mutant kind, to the exclusion of all else, even his own family. It is a long story and not mine to tell. Off to class now, all of you."

There were a few mumbled complaints, but the Brotherhood did as they were told. If they needed to know more, they could ask later in the privacy of the Boarding House, where they wouldn't have to worry about prying ears.

* * *

Rogue spent the rest of the school day gathering information on the potential newcomer. Despite what others might think, this was actually a lot easier than it sounded. Rogue had simply made sure to sit near Spyke, asking Toad some carefully worded and faintly insulting questions about Evan, along with a few snide remarks about rivalries, designed for him to overhear. The new X-Man instantly took offence and defended himself, providing them with a lot of useful knowledge about the speed demon. 

If half of what Spyke said was true, there was going to be a lot of authority contestation for the first few weeks after Pietro was Recruited, as the pecking order was worked out. It looked like she would need to brush up on her Death Glares while she waited to find out just how her mother planned to get the Mutant boy to Bayville.

Mystique and Magneto's plan for attracting Pietro was surprisingly simple: playing on his pride and competitive streak, which was apparently the size of Russia. The temptation to butt heads with and show up his long-time rival would be too much for Pietro to resist, so there was to be an inter-school game later that week, where Pietro and Spyke's old school would be playing against Bayville High.

The idea of a plan based around a Basketball match had caused Rogue to roll her eyes and mutter something uncomplimentary about 'boys and their sports', but she had consented to being dragged to the game anyway.

Might as well see what her new team mate was like, if they were going to live in the same house.

* * *

The Brotherhood's first impression of Pietro Maximoff was not a good one. Mystique, in her Principal Darkholme disguise, had taken the Brotherhood with her to meet the visiting Basketball team and bring them to Bayville High. Pietro had taken one look at Rogue and made a very bad attempt at flirting. It may have convinced many other girls, like Pietro bragged, but Rogue had simply glared and told him to, "Back away from meh slowly if you don't want to get hurt." 

Pietro had scowled, but backed off.

Things did not improve when they actually reached Bayville High School. Pietro and Spyke instantly got into a confrontation, where Pietro actually admitted to setting Evan up, not even paying attention to Cyclops and Jean Grey nearby. Rogue sighed and buried her head in her hands. Pietro didn't honestly think that the X-Men wouldn't have been informed about what had happened in New York, and come up with something, did he?

Of course, the confrontation swiftly escalated into a challenge, and Pietro sped off, closely followed by Spyke, who was, in turn, closely followed by his fellow X-Men. When they finally managed to stop sniggering at Cyclops's 'Go Team' speech, the Brotherhood followed at a distance, still letting out the occasional giggle.

"When you're with the X-Men, you're never alone" may have been true, but to actually announce it out loud? How were they supposed to sneak up on the X-Men if Summers kept making everyone laugh by spouting lines like that?

Of course, Pietro's lines weren't much better. Couldn't he come up with anything more original than 'I'm too fast' and 'you can't catch me'? He sounded like an argument in the Kindergarten playground.

* * *

The Brotherhood reached the fight just in time to see a lot of property damage, and the X-Men getting blown about in a mini-twister. Not wishing to be caught up in the twister themselves, they were unfortunately too far away to help when Pietro was hit by an eye-beam and pinned to a wall with bone spikes. 

Worse still, at least for Pietro, was that Rogue had been right; the X-Men had managed to catch Pietro's boast on tape, leaving it next to him when the police showed up to see who was causing all the damage.

Well, if Pietro was so important, Magneto would bust him out soon enough, and if not, there was no point in having all five of them behind bars, since it would only take a few days to arrange Pietro's bail. Maybe solitary confinement would knock some humility and common sense into the boy.

* * *

Apparently Pietro was important, as the Brotherhood woke up the next day to find Pietro being glared into helping Mystique with breakfast. 

Unfortunately, it didn't seem like he had managed to lose the cocky attitude and was zooming around the kitchen complaining about the housing standards and annoying the other Brotherhood members. Rogue was forced to give a few Glares of her own to stop any retaliation.

Thankfully, they managed to largely ignore him throughout breakfast, but when Rogue got up to leave for her tri-weekly lessons with Agatha Harkness, Pietro zipped to the door, blocking her way. "Don't go yet, hot stuff. I need to tell you how things are going to work around here now that I'm with you."

Was he serious? Another look at his face showed that yes, he actually did believe the nonsense he was spouting. Rogue turned around slowly, fixing Quicksilver with her most menacing Death Glare. The speed-demon gulped and took several steps away from her. Good, it was time to set a few things straight with him. "No, ya don't need ta tell us how things are gonna work, cause things are gonna stay as they are. Your daddy may have gotten ya into the Brotherhood, but that doesn't make y'all in charge. Mystique is the boss here, and when she isn't around its meh or Lance. Furthermore, ya ain't cute and if ya ever call meh 'hot stuff' again, Ah'll knock ya unconscious and drop ya outside the X-Mansion in drag, then make sure Spyke knows about it! Is that clear?"

Apparently it was, as Quicksilver was silent and frozen in place, while Mystique looked proud and faintly amused. The other Brotherhood boys weren't even trying to hide their gleeful smirks. Rogue matched them, then turned and left the Boarding House for the park. She had finally mastered Meditation, and Agatha claimed that they were going to spend this lesson teaching Rogue not to flinch while moving through crowds. Something about accepting and gaining confidence in her powers, rather than fearing them. Apparently acceptance of her powers was the first step to controlling it, regardless of how cliché it sounded.

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A/N: Another chapter up! Chapter three has 105 hits and no reviews. Please let me know what you think and what you would like to see in future chapters, because frankly, lack of reviews leads to writer's block. Please take the time to review, because I know people are reading this. Mwahahaha! 

I know that I will probably get a multitude of people complaining that Rogue is Out Of Character. My reply to this is that Rogue is thriving with the affection and support of Mystique and the Brotherhood, and valued as a strong person (in both power and personality) in her own right.  
It is just my opinion, but I always thought that Rogue had more of a backbone around the Brotherhood. While she is with them, she single-handedly takes down Blob, kicks the X-Men's collective backside when they try to recruit her, and I'm sure I saw the Brotherhood jump at her suggestion of hot-wiring the School Bus during 'Survival of the fittest'.  
While she is with the X-Men, she is stuck with her polar opposite as a room-mate, expected to take a back-seat to Scott and Jean, and basically given a lifetime supply of gloves and mandatory combat lessons. Also, no-one even tried to help her control her powers until after Self-Possessed, near the end of the Third Season!

Thanks, and sorry about the rant.

Nat.


	5. Chapter Four

_Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men: Evolution. If I did, there would be some major changes to the storyline, hence the purpose of Fanfiction._

_Summary: See previous chapters._

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Chapter Four**

For a startling change, it was a Tuesday that heralded the latest Mutant-related fiasco.

After a hellish morning which had started with someone turning her alarm off and Toad eating the last of her cereal, followed by a confrontation with the X-men during morning classes, specifically Quicksilver Vs Spyke, Round Number who-knew-what.

Things did not improve when they walked out of Science Lab and straight into a match of insults with Duncan Matthews and the Jocks. Needless to say, the football team lost, badly. The last straw came when Mystique had been forced to cancel lunch and a control-practice session with Rogue, and the girl finally threw up her hands and left the Brotherhood boys to their own devices for an hour or so.

Resolving to spend the lunch period in some well earned solitude, Rogue had just settled down under a tree with a nice book when she was interrupted by a very distinct _bamf_ and the smell of brimstone. Closing her book with a sigh of exasperated dismay, Rogue stood up and headed toward the commotion. What was her brother up to now?

* * *

Following him down the stairs into the school basement, Rogue was just in time to hear the sound of a holo-watch fizzling out Kurt muttering to himself, "Man, I have got to work on my re-entries!" 

Just managing to hold back a snicker, Rogue decided that sneaking up on him would not be a good idea. "Who's there?"

There was a quiet yelp and another _bamf_ as she entered. Waving away the smoke, Rogue looked around, hearing voices from behind a closed door with a 'STAY OUT' sign. Letting out another sigh, Rogue was just approaching the locked door when there was the sound of an explosion, and the door was blown off its hinges.

Rogue ducked as Kurt came flying out, crashed into a pile of boxes and didn't get up. Concern for her brother made her mask slip, and Rogue supposed that she must have looked frantic as she ran over. "Hey! Hey! Are you all rahght? What happened?"

Kurt groaned and opened his eyes, struggling to sit up. Rogue gently supported him as he managed a dazed explanation. "Lab. Booby trapped."

How helpful. Then again, Kurt had just been caught in a large explosion, so coherent sentences were unlikely for the next few minutes. But why would a lab be locked in the basement, let alone be booby trapped? Maybe it was something more? "A Lab?"

Walking toward what was left of the door, Rogue coughed. Urg, this smoke was far worse than her brother's teleportation residue. As the smoke cleared enough to allow limited visibility, Rogue looked around. Well, if it was a lab before, it certainly didn't matter now. What may have once been computers were now piles of scrap metal, sparking with the last traces of electricity. "Whoa. Whatever this stuff was, it's thrashed now. Except for this."

A strange-looking contraption lay on a small table, both miraculously unharmed. Walking over, Rogue picked it up, looking for some indication of what it might be. She was just examining what looked like a control panel when she heard Kurt come up behind her. "Vhat are you doing here?"

Patience somewhat strained by now, Rogue couldn't stop herself from a snappish reply. "Look who's talkin'! At least Ah didn't blow the place up!"

Kurt seemed more interested in the contraption/weird invention. "Hey, let go of zat!"

Absently, Rogue wondered if this could be their first sibling fight. A brief tug-of-war ensured before she managed to wrestle the thing away from her brother. "Back off, Blue-boy! Who says you're in charge here?"

Kurt let go and Rogue stumbled backward as the contraption _whirr_ed to life, shooting a beam of light toward Kurt, surrounding him in an orb of color and momentarily blinding Rogue. Trying to clear the spots from her eyes, Rogue heard him give a panicked yell as the orb vanished, taking Kurt with it.

Horrified, Rogue dropped the invention, which clattered to the floor and rolled away. Rogue ran to where Kurt had disappeared, leaving a faint shimmer in his wake. Just as she reached for it, however, the shimmer vanished. Trying very hard not to panic, Rogue's brain could only process one phrase, over and over. "He's gone."

* * *

Rogue mentally bitch-slapped herself, trying to get her thoughts under control. Panicking would not help anyone. First of all, she needed to get rid of this gizmo thing before it got anyone else. Then, she needed to find Mystique and the others, before the X-Men noticed their missing member and jumped to conclusions. Spying a broom outside the lab, Rogue carefully picked the gizmo up by one handle and walked out of the basement, heading for the nearest dumpster. 

Tossing the invention at the dumpster, Rogue jumped back and cringed when it bounced off, aiming at her. Just to make things worse, it landed at the feet of Todd Tolensky. Rogue fought back the urge to swear loudly as Toad picked it up. "What's this?"

Rogue really did not need this. Bad enough that Kurt had been zapped by this thing; she didn't need her youngest team-mate getting hit by it too. "Don't touch that blasted thing!"

Toad only looked curious. "Why not?"

Did her mother have this problem? Rogue didn't have time for explanations here! "Its…Never you mahnd, just leave it alone!"

It seemed like Todd was just looking for someone to annoy. "Aw, what's the matter? Little Rogue get into some trouble?"

Rogue wondered if anyone would particularly mind if she strangled her team mate. "No. This just means that there's one less of the X-Men to push us around."

Toad's face lit up with glee. "Say what? You mean you toasted one of those goody-goods with that thing? Wicked!"

Rogue really didn't need this fact rubbed in more than it already was. She also didn't need Todd getting his hands on the wretched thing and doing something stupid, like zapping something else. "Hey, just leave it alone. You got that, Swamp Breath."

Rogue stalked off to find her mother, leaving Toad to sulk and mutter, "Geez, what is this, Abuse The Toad Day?"

* * *

Deciding that her best bet would be to wait for Mystique in her office, Rogue headed in that direction. Three corridors away from her destination, she was nearly flattened by a pair of screaming boys, panicked enough that her Death Glare didn't even slow them down, who were yelling about seeing a blue demon. 

But that couldn't be right! Rogue had seen Kurt disappear, with definately no time to teleport, and teleportation wouldn't fit with the description of a 'ghost', as one of the boys had shrieked. Moving cautiously toward where the two idiots had come from, Rogue was just in time to hear Jean Gray tell Cyclops that she couldn't find Kurt anywhere. "It's like he doesn't even exist."

Rogue froze in horror, the last sentence echoing through her head on a constant loop, distracting her enough that she nearly missed the approach of Lance and Fred, and the instant starting accusations. "Or somebody took him."

Predictably, Lance took immediate offense. "What are you looking at, Summers?"

Cyclops only glared. "Where's Kurt?"

Out of sight, Rogue closed her eyes in exasperation. Why couldn't Blob just settle for a simple 'How should we know?' rather than: "Yeah, like we'd tell you."

The response was Summers slamming Lance into a locker and the beginning of a fight. Of course, fights in a school, always draw crowds, which in turn draw authority figures. Not wanting a huge scene, Rogue melded with the crowd, hoping to break things up before teachers got involved.

Lance shoved Cyclops off him. Cyclops demanded to know what they had done with Kurt. Fred lifted Summers off Lance and into the air, provoking a yell from Jean. "Hey, put him down!"

Obviously deciding that Fred had Summers under control, Lance faced off against Jean Grey. "Back off, Red, or I'll rock you!"

One of these days, Rogue was going to tie Lance down and beat those horrible rock puns out of him. The lockers started to shake and the earth trembled as Lance clenched his fists. Jean's hair fanned out behind her as she drew on _her_ powers and the crowd started cheering. Thankfully, both cheers and powers were interrupted and stopped almost instantly a few seconds later. "What is going on here?"

Mystique had returned, and she did not look happy.

Both Brotherhood and X-Men denied starting the fight, but Mystique obviously didn't want to hear it, and dragged Cyclops and Jean off to her office. Lance and Fred made themselves scarce and Rogue quietly followed the other three to the Principal's office, trying to decide the best way to interrupt and break the news about Kurt.

* * *

Mystique had been having a bad day, and was obviously in no mood for more trouble. Honestly, though, Rogue couldn't blame her. Magneto had called her in the ungodly hours of the morning, wanting an update on Pietro and sending her on an errand that kept her occupied until lunch, therefore missing Rogue. 

Now, she had to deal with yet another confrontation between her Brotherhood and the X-Men. Rogue hid behind an open locker as she eavesdropped on the rant/conversation. "I don't care how much influence Professor Xavier has with the School Board, I am going to get –" Mystique stopped when she noticed her suddenly bare office. "–What? What happened here? Who took all my furniture?"

Rogue waited until her mother had passed at a run, then looked into the office just in time to see what looked almost like a ghost of Kurt appear for a few seconds, and then vanish. Even with mutant powers involved, Rogue would have called it unbelievable if Cyclops and Jean Grey hadn't also seen it.

Fortunately, they didn't notice Rogue. Unfortunately, they did notice Toad playing around with the contraption responsible for making things disappear. No time to waste, Rogue took off to warn Mystique and then track down the others. Toad would be needing their help in the very near future.

Locating the other boys took longer than Rogue had expected, and she had just managed to find Lance and Fred when Shadowcat and Spyke phased out of a wall, ignoring them completely, and ran through the opposite one, obviously in a big hurry.

Seconds later, there was a yell that sounded very much like Toad. Swearing loudly, Rogue snapped out orders. "Go find Mystique and Quicksilver. I'll go help Toad. Move!"

Barely waiting for their acknowledgment, Rogue ran off, hoping that no one did anything stupid in the meantime.

When Rogue finally tracked down Toad and the X-Men, Toad was perched high in a tree, seconds away from having his branch shot down by Cyclops. Now Rogue was very glad that the other boys weren't with her at the moment. Charging in recklessly would only make things worse.

Cyclops hit the branch with his eyebeams, sending Toad plummeting to the ground. Rogue's opinion of Jean Grey plummeted right along with him when the red-head telekinetically caught the gizmo, but didn't bat an eyelid when Toad hit the ground with a very painful-sounding crunch.

Rogue started moving toward the X-Men very quickly when Spyke pinned Toad to the tree and Cyclops leaned in. "Now, tell us what you did to Kurt."

Toad covered his head, preparing to be hurt. "I didn't do nothing!"

Rogue reached the X-Men just as Cyclops reached for his visor. She could be annoyed with Toad later. "He didn't. Ah did. So if y'all wanna fahnd blue boy, ya better let him go!"

Toad looked very relieved when the X-Men stood up and backed away from him. None of them made any move to help Toad down, however. Rolling her eyes, Rogue pushed through them and yanked the spike out of the tree, muttering to Todd. "Go fahnd the others, then follow me. We'll be in the school basement."

Toad hopped off as fast as possible. Rogue led the X-Men to what was left of the lab.

* * *

Walking through the doors, Rogue stopped just in front of Kurt's lost holowatch. "This is where it happened." 

Scott knelt on the ground, picking it up and examining it. He glared up at her. "If you've hurt him, I'm gonna…"

Scott might have the Righteously Indignant Glare in hand, but Rogue could send a Jock running with just an Angry Scowl and remained perfectly un-intimidated. "You start threatening me, and y'all are never gonna fahnd your friend."

Jean Grey rushed to break them up, trying not to look at Rogue. "Whoa, guys, let's just calm down."

_Tell that to your boyfriend, you __red-haired bint._ Rogue barely managed to stop herself from repeating the thought out loud, but let it escape her mental shields, ignoring the offended look as the aforementioned redhead picked up on it. Thankfully, they were interrupted by Shadowcat and Spyke, who had been examining the gizmo. "It's putting out, like, some steady low-power pulse wave. But it just seems to disappear into thin air."

Cyclops looked as baffled as Rogue felt. "And that means what exactly?"

Kitty had gone back to examining the gizmo, leaving Spyke to continue the explanation. "Well, we figure that the pulse has trapped the Crawler in some other dimension."

Had Rogue's life just crossed over with some science-fiction TV drama? How were they supposed to retrieve Kurt from another dimension? As soon as she got home, Rogue had a date with some aspirin and a nice nap. Cyclops didn't seem to think it was so complicated, however. "Okay. So let's just trash this thing."

And with the only means of travel or communication destroyed, how did the X-Idiots plan to get Kurt back then? Rogue was just about to point this out in the most scathing terms imaginable when Shadowcat interrupted, suggesting that she phase through the gizmo, rather than destroy the lab a second time. Rogue started moving toward the gizmo while the X-Men argued, then jumped back as there was a flash and Kurt appeared for a few moments. "Reset! Don't des-."

Cyclops blinked. "Ah, you guys saw that, right?"

Rogue nearly collapsed in relief, forgoing the caustic remark that sprang to her lips. "He's still alahve!"

Jean added her two pennies. "What was he saying?"

This led to yet another argument, this time about whether Kurt meant for them to destroy the invention, or to reset it. Rogue personally thought the latter, but no one was listening. Thankfully, Cyclops's argument of resetting the blasted thing won out and he picked it up. "Um, Intensity settings, power regulators, beam width, restart!"

Rogue had a shining moment of hope when the portal re-appeared, along with Kurt and some other boy who looked like he was from the seventies. Of course, her team mates just had to choose that moment to show up and start a fight. "There they are! And look, they still have that vape-ray I was telling you about!"

Lance spotted her, but somehow managed to miss her thunderous expression. "Rogue, Mystique sent us to find you. So are you with us, or them?"

Rogue sent her team mates a Look. "What kahnd of a question is that?"

Unfortunately, Cyclops spoke at the same time, sounding shocked. "Mystique? You're working with her?"

Um, hello. Friends with the Brotherhood, living in the same house, on the same side in a fight... Just how thick were the X-Idiots, if they failed to put that together? "Hey, you've got your friends, and Ah've got mahne." She turned her attention back to the Brotherhood. "But we ain't destroying that thing. Ah wanna know how it works. And where's Pietro?"

Fred shrugged. "Dunno. He left for a date before we could get to him. Mystique said to leave it and go find you."

Rogue made a note to yell at the silver-haired boy about his priorities. She also hoped that Scott had come up with better lines as Lance threw down the challenge. The X-Men's leader hadn't. "The projector stays with us. X-Men, keep that portal open!"

Lance managed to smirk as his eyes rolled back. "Your call."

He slammed one foot down, making the floor ripple with tremors. The X-Men staggered, and the fight was on. Blob faced off with Jean and Cyclops, almost casually dismissing the first eye-beam that Cyclops hit him with. He fell however, when One-eye aimed at the floor he was standing on, and Grey levitated it into the air, tripping Blob into the small crater left behind.

Lance faced off against Shadowcat, almost making Rogue wonder if this was some bizarre form of flirting. "You and me have a date, Pretty Kitty. How about a ride on the concrete coaster?"

Another earthquake shook the floor, sending the brunette X-Man flying into a wall. She phased through it and vaulted back out, hitting the floor in a series of acrobatic flips. "Lousy ride, loser!"

Rogue came up behind the smaller girl, hitting her on the back of her skull before she could phase and sweeping her legs out from under her. "Your lahnes are even worse than Cyclops's, Lance! Pay attention to the fahght!"

Toad was jumping circles around Spyke, who was trying to catch him in a lunge. The amphibious mutant evaded him at every turn, taunting him, and hopping toward the portal generator. Rogue ran toward them, both as back-up and to make sure that Toad didn't ignore her and try to destroy the generator anyway. She needn't have bothered, though, as Toad crashed straight into a barrier of bone spikes and fell back, dazed.

Rogue dragged him upright, forming a line with Blob and Avalanche. Blob also seemed to be competing for pointless banter. "Okay, enough of the warm-ups. Time for some serious smashing."

Further potential violence was interrupted, however, by the honking of a car horn. Everyone looked around to see where it was coming from, when a car that suspiciously resembled Mystique's came shooting out of the Portal, with Kurt behind the wheel and the unknown teen beside him, looking as though he couldn't decide between feeling thrilled or terrified.

The X-Men scattered, diving out of the way. The Brotherhood hid behind Blob, who braced himself for the impact. Thankfully, the car only pushed him back a few steps. "Whew. Good thing I'm the Blob."

Mystique would need to know that her son was safe again, and Rogue didn't feel the need to stick around for any 'We'll Get You Next Time' speeches. Leaving the others to it, she took the opportunity to quietly slip out of the door.

* * *

Rogue found Mystique pacing in her office, nearing panic. Patiently calming her mother down, Rogue explained what had happened. The invention had been smashed, by Kurt and the other teen as they re-entered, but Rogue wasn't about to be overly desolate about that. It was way more trouble than it was worth, in her opinion. 

Leaving a slightly more rational shape shifter behind, Rogue headed for the nearby library. Specifically, the town records section. If a boy could build an inter-dimensional portal from seventies technology, he was definitely worth keeping an eye on.

Fortune appeared to be smiling on Rogue, as she bumped straight into said boy before she was half way to the library. Literally bumped into him, as he saw her and stopped dead. "Hey, aren't you the girl who helped the X-Men figure out how to get me and Kurt back?"

Well, at least he wasn't panicking and throwing accusations at the sight of her. That implied that he hadn't joined the X-Men. "Yeah, what's it to you?"

The teen shrugged. "Nothing. Just curious. I'm Forge, by the way. What's your name?"

Rogue sighed. She supposed it was understandable, having been stuck in a pocket dimension for who knew how long, but this boy was way too cheerful. "I'm Rogue. Before you ask, Ah drain people's powers through touch."

Forge blinked. "Awesome. All I can do is invent stuff."

He turned his arm into some kind of super-gadget to demonstrate. Rogue gave him a slight smile. "Interesting. Not such a bad power, either, if you think about it."

She started to walk away, heading back to the Boarding House, and then turned back for a moment. "Incidentally, Kurt is very close to me, even if he doesn't know it. Blow him up or put him in danger again and Ah won't make any promises about you surviving the aftermath."

Turning her back on him, Rogue allowed herself a small smirk at Forge's stunned expression. Oh well, at least she had some information on him now, and it was time to get back home if she wanted dinner that night.

_x_

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* * *

A/N: Another chapter up, hope everyone enjoyed it. You know the drill: review and tell me what you think. Oh, and how does this sound:_

**_Every time you leave a review,  
The author is inspired anew._**

_Just an idea._

_Thanks,  
Nat_


	6. Chapter Five

_Disclaimer: Sorry, still not mine._

_Summary: See previous chapters. _

* * *

**Chapter Five**

While Rogue didn't mind Bayville, there were a lot of things she missed about her old home in Caldecott County. At this particular point in time, she missed the warm weather, as opposed to the below-zero temperatures and snowstorms forecast in the next few weeks.

This morning was no exception to the cold weather, and for the umpteenth time, Rogue woke up shivering. Seriously considering the possibility of just turning over and staying in bed, where it was warm, Rogue finally got out of bed and headed downstairs. "Morning, y'all. Where's Mama?"

The equally drowsy Brotherhood boys were lounging around the table, still in their pajamas. Pietro looked up as she entered. "Dad called, said he wanted to talk with her about something, but didn't want to risk it over the phone. Can you tell Lance to hand over the coffee? I'm cold, but he says that there is no way he's letting me near caffeine."

Rogue sighed and went over to the microwave to make hot chocolate. "Good idea Lance, and don't go looking for it either, Pietro. Any idea when she is going to be back?"

Blob was becoming very good at cooking, and handed her a bowl of apple-cinnamon oatmeal. "Nah, but Boss-Lady did say that she'll be home by the end of school, no matter what he wanted."

Rogue retrieved her hot chocolate from the microwave and sipped it, still shivering. She caught the Brotherhood boys watching her, and favored them with a glare. "Ah'm a born and raised Southern Gal. Ah never even saw snow till Ah was eight and Mama took me skiing! Ah'm gonna turn into an ice statue before the week is out."

Toad grinned. "So now is a bad time to mention that Lance's jeep doesn't have a cover, right?"

The glare he received informed the amphibious mutant that he probably couldn't have chosen a worse time to mention this fact. Finishing her breakfast at record speed, Rogue headed back upstairs to pile on the warmest clothing she had, and hope that Lance didn't take too long driving to school.

* * *

Apparently her team mates had the same idea, as they were ready quicker than usual and waiting by the jeep, arguing over who got shot-gun and therefore best access to the heater. Rogue smirked, and was about to claim priority via untouchable skin when she was whisked off her feet.

Looking up, she saw Pietro smirking at her. "Hold on tight, Roguey. This is gonna be a blast! See you guys at school."

Rogue's eyes widened. That competitive smirk almost always promised trouble. Before she could move or order Pietro to put her down, the speed demon had taken off at high speeds, racing toward the school. Stopping just out of sight, Pietro grinned at her. "See? Running warms you up, and you get to share my body heat."

Fighting the urge to slap that cocky grin right of Quicksilver's face, Rogue shook her head and jogged toward Bayville High's central heating.

Upon arriving at school, Rogue headed for the private work-out room, hoping to get some practice in before class. Actually, she wouldn't mind skipping geography, as the usual teacher was going on a field trip, and Rogue had barely missed a place, which meant that they would be stuck with a sub. 

Running through a quick warm-up routine, Rogue heard a loud chatter of voices from outside, the sudden noise causing her to slip and land straight on her backside. Muttering something rude under her breath, Rogue picked herself up and walked over to the window, parting the blinds to see what was happening. Joy of joys, it was the Geology Field Trip getting ready to leave. Closing the shutters again, Rogue turned back to her work out and was promptly startled by her mother's sudden appearance. Thankfully, she recovered quickly enough not to blurt out anything inappropriate. "Principal Darkholme!" 

There was something in her mother's face, but it was hard to identify. "He's never going to be your friend, dear. You know that."

Mystique almost never called Rogue 'dear', preferring her chosen name of 'Rogue'. Mystique also knew that Rogue was not interested in the X-Men's way of life, held no desire to be friends with them, and really couldn't care less what they thought about her. Why was Mystique wasting both of their time stating the obvious? Rogue turned back to the punching bag, deciding that she might as well do the same. "Who, Scott? Ah ain't interested in him."

The strange something in her mother's expression hadn't left, and she was acting strangely. "Really? Tell me, dear, have you forgotten how Mr. Summers and his friends attacked you?"

Now Rogue knew something was wrong. The day after Rogue's powers had manifested, Mystique had explained her actions of the previous night, when she had impersonated the X-Men. Rogue knew that the X-Men hadn't attacked her, and Mystique knew that Rogue knew. What was going on here? Confused, Rogue tried to make out some kind of jumbled reply, but Mystique interrupted her, another thing she almost never did. "Just this morning I overheard them discussing their simulated training exercises, with you as their target."

Well, even the X-Men weren't dumb enough to miss the fact that she held a position of authority within the Brotherhood, or that she was a powerful mutant in her own right. Given that their first encounter had half of the X-Men team unconscious or out of commission, it only made sense that they would train with her as an enemy.

That did it, the Mystique standing before her was definitely not the Mystique she was familiar with, and whoever it was seemed to be under the impression that she had shaky loyalties, and was unaware of certain facts. Rogue's best bet was to play along and see if she could pick up anything. "But whah? What did Ah ever do ta them?"

The real Mystique would have had an answer to that question, but whoever this was didn't. "I think it's time you discovered who your friends really are." She placed a backpack on the floor nearby. "Enjoy the field trip, dear, it should prove most enlightening."

Mystique was very good with mind games and cryptic statements, but she never used them with the Brotherhood. Largely because the boys lacked any real amount of subtlety, making cryptic comments something of a useless exercise. If something big was going to happen, or if there was going to be a mission, Mystique would lay it out bluntly and in detail, not leave with a vague statement about how something would 'prove most enlightening'.

* * *

The person trying to pass themselves off as Mystique left Rogue alone, and she instantly sought out the Brotherhood for a quick chat before they left. If she was stuck away from the school, she needed someone here to keep an eye out to see if they could find whatever was wrong with Mystique.

Rogue finally tracked her team mates down near their lockers, and quickly ran through an explanation of what had happened. By the time she had finished, everyone was frowning. "Ah'm worried about her, it's lahke someone or something is controlling her mahnd. She was talking lahke she barely knew me, or any details of what has happened in the past few months."

Fred placed a would-be comforting hand on her shoulder as Lance replied. "We'll find out what's going on, and work everything out. Don't worry, Rogue, everything will be fine."

Todd hopped up onto the lockers, keeping an eye on the school bus and the two senior X-Men as he seconded Lance. "Nobody messes with the Brotherhood, yo. We'll get whoever is behind this."

Pietro had a more serious angle on what was happening. "You need to be careful though, Rogue. There is something more than just Boss Lady going on here. Someone's gone to a lot of trouble to get you on that field trip, and it has to be for a reason."

Todd hopped down from the lockers, interrupting anything Rogue might have said in reply. "Rudetsky just told Grey she got kicked, Roguey. Better get down there fast, yo." 

Rogue nodded and headed out to where the bus was parked. She only hoped that the boys would be able to figure out what the hell was going on with her mother.

* * *

The bus ride to the caves started out as calm as a bus full of teenagers could get, if you discounted the glare from Scott whenRogue smirked at a dismayed Jean. Rogue didn't kid herself that it would last, though, and was proven right when they were hit by a snowstorm less than an hour into the trip. Unsurprisingly, it was less than ten minutes before the bus hit a patch of ice and spun out of control.

Trying to keep her balance amid the other screaming students that had been sent flying, Rogue paled when it looked like they were about to go skidding off the side of the mountain. Thankfully, the other panicking passengers didn't notice Cyclops removing his glasses and churning up the surface of the cliff edge to create a barrier, just barely saving them.

The teacher was all for turning around and going home, but Rogue wanted to find out what was so important about this field trip and gained several cheers when she suggested taking the rest of the journey on the snow mobiles and waiting out the weather in the caves.

Scott and one of his human friends, Mike, didn't look so happy when they were driving to the caves and Rogue challenged them. "Test your mettle, tough guy?"

Rogue's passenger went completely white and protested vehemently with a very high pitched, "What? No, no racing! No!" but Scott only grinned and accepted the challenge.

Back in Caldecott County, Rogue could convince Cody to lend her his motorcycle by batting her eyes and smiling at him. On a holiday trip to Germany (including a trip to a certain Munich Circus) Mystique and Irene had decided that Rogue should learn to drive a snow mobile. The race against Scott, X-Men Leader vs. Brotherhood Gal In Charge, was fast, furious, and contained no small number of dangerous stunts.

Rogue's passenger, a blonde girl called Tina, screamed the entire way, and while Scott's passenger initially took it a lot better, it was hard to miss the nervous "OK, you know what, I've had enough." after narrowly missing a tree, or the loud, "Oh, no, no! Forget it you maniac!" after a fairly risky jump.

Tina was busy throwing up nearby as Rogue pulled up at the caves and waited for Cyclops. "No trophies for second place."

Cyclops looked slightly shaky as he dismounted, but managed to keep his composure. Mike didn't fare quite so well, and followed Tina's example. Scott looked at Rogue. "How did a Southern Gal like you learn to handle a snowmobile?" 

_Wouldn't he like to __know?_ Rogue smirked at him, slowly coming down from her adrenaline high. "Let's just say Ah'm full of surprahses."

* * *

_Meanwhile, back at Bayville High…_

Not surprisingly, none of Bayville High's students were overly upset when a snow day was called shortly after the first bell. The Brotherhood, however, were upset when they couldn't find Mystique, either the real one or the bizarre version.

After a thorough search of the School Grounds, they headed for Lance's jeep, in the hopes that Mystique might be back at the Boarding House. Half way through the parking lot, the Brotherhood struck gold.

Pietro zoomed up to them, bearing actual news, even if it wasn't particularly useful. "I talked to Dad, told him that Rogue and Mystique were acting strange. He didn't seem too concerned, but he said something about a test of loyalties."

Lance frowned. Pietro had become a lot more tolerable after the realization that no amount of Daddy's influence was going to change the fact that the rest of the Brotherhood were only going to ignore his attempts at authority until he earned their respect. Still, Magneto's reply to his son, even in such a supposedly casual call, did not sound good. Before he could say anything, however, Toad spotted movement in a nearby bush. He pointed it out to Fred, who charged and pounced on the shrubbery. They would worry about the ruined landscaping later.

The rest of the Brotherhood boys ran up as Blob picked himself up, revealing a somewhat flattened, and very ugly, man in a brown robe. He definitely wasn't a student or faculty member at Bayville High, and actually bore a very strong resemblance to a Stone Age Neanderthal.

The man groaned and tried to sit up. Fred placed a very firm and very heavy foot on his chest. Toad slimed the man's legs, locking them together as the slime froze in the cold air. Lance and Pietro looked very unfriendly as they Loomed over him. On Rogue, such tactics had people talking very quickly. But whether it was the lack of the patented Death Glare or some other reason, the man only frowned at Pietro. "The task your father required of me is done. The shape shifter will attack her daughter and test her loyalties. Magneto promised to leave me alone after I did this."

The Brotherhood exchanged startled glances, before Lance punched the man again, knocking him unconscious. Pietro looked stunned, obviously having had no idea about this. Blob and Toad looked furious at what the man had told them Lance sighed. "Let's get back to the Boarding House. We can wait for Rogue or Mystique there, and then get this guy to reverse whatever he did."

* * *

_At the field trip…_

Rogue had learned to trust her instincts, and her instincts told her that something was very wrong in these caves. Letting the Geology teacher start to lecture the students about metamorphic rock, Rogue slipped away to take a look around and see if she could find the source of her 'Bad Feeling'. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Scott following her and hid behind a large rock, letting him pass her.

This turned out to be a very good idea, as Scott nearly toppled over an underground cliff that Rogue hadn't noticed yet. Rogue was sick of the X-Men's constantly changing stance on her, which seemed to switch on a weekly basis. Ally and friend when they tried to recruit her, or when Scott's psyche made her rescue Jean. Enemy and ignored when she refused to oblige them or sided with the Brotherhood. Now was as good a time as any to get answers, before it drove her mad. "Ah need ta know, Scott, what is it y'all want from me?"

Cyclops frowned and looked away. "I… I don't want anything, except maybe your friendship."

Rogue scowled and stalked forward, poking him in the chest. "Ya know what Ah want? The truth. Am Ah a target for you and your X-freaks."

Scott looked uncomfortable and avoided her eyes. "We, ah…"

Rogue's scowl deepened, that was answer enough. "It's true, isn't it? Ah know all about your battle simulation, the one where Ah'm the enemy."

She started to walk off, but Cyclops started after her, trying to make her listen. "No! No, wait. Rogue, it's complicated. We're not who you think we are. We've never tried to hurt you, you've been lied to. We want you with us."

How should Cyclops know what she thought they were, aside from her obvious opinion of the X-Men as idealistic morons? Rogue knew that they didn't attack her the night her powers activated, but they certainly hadn't held back in the X-Men Vs Brotherhood battles after that. "Yeah? Well, sorry, Ah'm not interested!"

Any further rebuttals were cut off by the appearance of Scott's friend, Paul, who informed them that Mr. Rudetsky was looking for them. Rogue narrowed her eyes at the boy. The voice was male, but the stance and movement had a distinct feminine edge. This had been a game for her, growing up, and Rogue knew that this was Mystique, though the why was uncertain. Whatever the reason, there was no need to blow her cover. "Paul here is your friend, but Ah bet y'all never practice fighting him!"

Considering Mystique had obviously spent a fair amount of time and effort setting up and maintaining this guise, Rogue was stunned when she morphed into Principal Darkholme. "I'm afraid you'd lose that bet, Rogue. Hello, Scott. Are you more surprised to see me… or me?"

If Rogue was shocked, it was nothing compared to Scott. When Mystique changed from Principal Darkholme into Mystique, he finally found his tongue. "Principal Darkholme? You're Mystique?"

Rogue edged forward slowly as the blue-skinned woman laughed, "Something Professor Xavier neglected to tell you. Nice of him, wasn't it? You have no idea what he's been hiding from you. Let me fill you in. You X-Men are nothing but puppets to Charles Xavier, and I am a sharp blade cutting your strings, just so I can watch you fall!" 

Rogue decided that something was definitely wrong. Her mother was never this careless with her disguises, and if she wanted to out herself as the principal, she normally would have chosen a much more dramatic, effective and widespreadway to do it. Mystique also wouldn't have shoved Cyclops off a cliff when there were much better ways to handle things or send a warning. Rogue dived forward, trying to catch Scott, but missed as he fell out of reach. "Scott! Whah did you do that?"

She spun back to the blue woman, whose voice was far colder than the tone she usually used with Rogue. "I'm protecting you, dear, from his lies. He only wants to hurt you, just like Xavier and the other X-Men."

Enough of this! Rogue wanted answers, and this was definitely not her mother talking. She glared up at the shape shifter, saying whatever she needed to in order to get a reaction as she slowly slid off a glove. "And you don't? What did you do ta Paul?"

The shape shifter smirked and changed back into Paul. "Let's just say he missed the bus, thanks to a little miscommunication about the departure time. Now let's rejoin the others, and break the tragic news."

That did it. Rogue grabbed the hand that the shape shifter extended to her. If she wasn't going to provide answers, then Rogue was going to take them. "No more secrets! Your powers are mahne, your memories are mahne!" 

The skin-to-skin contact brought a flood of memories, and Rogue struggled to control the flow as images flashed before her mind's eye. 

_Mystique and Irene in a car the night her powers manifested, Irene describing Rogue's powers as her mother panicked at the thought of losing her to the X-Men. Flashes of Mystique taking the guise of various X-Men._

_A man in a brown jacket, standing in an office as Magneto insisted that Mystique test Rogue to see if there was any chance that she would join the X-Men. Mystique refusing, until the strange man placed his hands near her face, his eyes glowing. Mystique sounding dazed as she spoke. "Rogue must remain loyal to our cause." _

Mystique collapsed, out cold from prolonged contact and Rogue closed her eyes, concentrating on not letting Mystique's psyche control her. Opening her eyes again, Rogue quickly made a choice. Mystique wouldn't be going anywhere for a while, and if Scott died, life was going to go to Hell in a hand basket. Temporarily in Mystique's form, Rogue vaulted over the cliff, landing on the small ledge where Scott was dangling, trying not to fall.

Cyclops finally lost his grip, but Rogue grabbed him before he could plummet to his doom, hauling him back up. The X-Man let out a sigh of relief. "It's getting hard to tell the players without a scorecard around here. Thanks for the lift, Rogue."

There was a rumbling sound from overhead, and Rogue paled slightly. "Don't thank me yet! Jump!"

The two mutants jumped off the ledge, landing in an underground river that, by the sound up ahead, flowed into a waterfall. Very luckily, there was a ledge jutting out on either side, and they managed to grab one and use it to swing onto a lower ledge. Not-so-luckily, the ledgepromptly broke,sending them crashing onto a natural rock bridge on the side of the mountain, right in the middle of a blizzard.

Shivering violently, Rogue struggled to her hands and knees, crawling over to where Cyclops lay, seemingly unconscious. "Scott? Scott, listen, just hang on. You're gonna be OK, you're gonna be…"

Rogue trailed off, looking around her. Stuck in a killer blizzard, no sign of any other life, let alone human, no-one knew were they were, and they had no shelter or provisions. "Oh God, we're gonna die!"

Surprisingly, this got an actual reaction from the stunned X-Man. "Thanks for the pep talk."

Startled by the revelation that Fearless Leader Cyclops even knew what sarcasm was, let alone actually used it, Rogue didn't reply, but couldn't stop herself from shivering even harder. In a more serious tone, Scott kept talking. "Rogue, thank you. You saved my life."

Rogue nodded distractedly, pulling him a bit closer as she scanned the area again. "Welcome. Now shut up while Ah trah to figure out how to get us out of this mess. Any suggestions?"

Scott shook his head. "No idea and you look pretty messed up. Are you OK?"

Rogue gave him a flat look, not dignifying that comment with a proper response. "Mah guardian, who is supposed to care about me, just trahed to kill us both. We're drenched, and stuck in the middle of a blizzard, with no supplies and no way of contacting anyone. How do you think Ah'm doing?"

Scott had the grace to look slightly sheepish at the faintly snappish reply. "Point taken. But Mystique probably does care about you. Sometimes it's just really hard to understand adults. They never seem to trust us."

In the quiet of her mind, Rogue swore vividly as Scott trailed off, slipping back into unconsciousness. This was not good, and his lips were starting to turn blue. "Scott, don't pass out! You need to stay awake, because Ah ain't dragging you off this mountain bah mahself! Call your bloody telepath Professor, or something!"

Her shouts were useless, and things only got worse when a large and angry wolf appeared. Since wolves never hunted or traveled alone, it was a safe bet that this was Mystique under mind control. Given the fact that Magneto had been willing to use a mind manipulator on one of his most trusted employees, Rogue was secure in her opinion that he wouldn't hesitate to kill or maim her for not seeming totally loyal to him.

Scott regained some measure of awareness, and cursed loudly at the sight of the wolf. Rogue started to drag him backwards over the bridge. "Be careful what you're shooting, the wolf is Mystique!"

Scott's eyes went distant for a moment, and Rogue mentally promised to slap him silly if he passed out on her again. Luckily for both of them, he didn't faint, but told her that the X-Men were coming for them. Feeling the bridge starting to crumble beneath them, Rogue would have accepted being rescued by a Human. "What, they are? Great."

Scott promptly burst that bubble of hope. "They can't find us."

Rogue growled under her breath. Was she the only one capable of operating under pressure? She raised her voice slightly as she carefully removed his glasses. "That Figures. So let's give them something that they can fahnd! Open your eyes, Scott. Now!"

A blast of red energy burst into the sky, providing an unmistakable beacon that anyone looking would find impossible to miss. It also had the added bonus of startling Mystique-wolf back several steps. She recovered quickly, though, and was soon prowling after them again. Rogue made a note to ask Agatha to teach her how to tap into previously absorbed powers at the first opportunity, as she really didn't want another dose of Scott Summers in her head to make her do something stupid. Touching him for only a second with her fingertip, Rogue forced his psyche to the back of her mind, though not quite fast enough to avoid one of his trademark comments as she hit Mystique with an eye-beam. "Some friendly advahse, Teach: don't mess with the Rogue!"

Rogue's eyes widened in horror as Mystique went tumbling over the edge of the bridge into nothingness, and then she sighed in relief when her mother changed into an eagle. So relieved, in fact, not to mention preoccupied with the crumbling bridge, that she barely noticed the X-Jet until Wolverine had grabbed both her and Scott and dragged them into the plane.

Once on board, Storm rushed over to check on Scott as Wolverine approached Rogue. "Where's your allegiance, kid? Us or them?"

Shivering with cold and the previous adrenaline rush, Rogue looked at Wolverine apprehensively. "If Ah don't say 'you', will Ah get thrown out of the plane?"

Wolverine shook his head. "We ain't the Brotherhood. We've either earned your trust by now or we haven't."

Rogue's eyes narrowed. She hadn't been in Bayville long, but the Brotherhood were her family, and while no-one ever knew what Mystique was up to unless she told you herself, she was still her mother, and Rogue wouldn't give up the boys, annoying as they often were, for a bunch of almost total strangers. Even if they had just saved her life. "Ah trust ya, and y'all have mah thanks for saving us. But y'all are still strangers, and Ah ain't abandoning the boys."

Cyclops grinned. "Welcome to – wait, what? But Mystique just tried to kill us! You're actually going to go back there?"

Rogue shrugged. "Ah want to sort through Mystique's memories first, see if Ah can fahnd any answers. If Mystique tries to kill me again, the boys will stand with me. Ah'll be fahne."

Wolverine looked skeptical, but let it go. "Fine, kid, but you're coming back with us to get patched up, first. You can call your friends from the Institute."

* * *

_Back In Bayville…_

After gaining the man's identity, Mastermind, the Brotherhood's method of keeping him under control until Rogue and/or Mystique got back was simple: knock him back out every time he showed signs of waking up. The illusionist mutant was not going to be in very good shape by the time one of the two Brotherhood females returned. Considering the circumstances, the Brotherhood were not inclined to be sympathetic.

Finally, Mystique walked through the door, the sight of an unconscious Mastermind enough to stop her in her tracks, at least long enough for Quicksilver to knock her out as well. Slapping Mastermind awake and dumping him on the floor, Lance pointed to Mystique. "Whatever you did to her, reverse it. Now."

Mastermind shook his head, "Why should I listen to a bunch of children? Besides, Magneto will kill me if he finds out."

Pietro's eyes narrowed. "Because we will make your time with us singularly unpleasant if you don't. Father already knows that you were caught, so you're in no less trouble either way. Blob, sit on him!"

Actually, Magneto knew absolutely nothing past the fact that the Brotherhood suspected something strange. It was irrelevant, however, as the prospect of being flattened by several hundred pounds of teenaged boy encouraged Mastermind to change his tune very quickly about restoring Mystique's memories.

Facing Magneto may have been the better option, however, as Mystique was not even within shouting distance of pleased when she woke up. Formidable mental shields, especially now that she knew of Mastermind's abilities, kept his illusions from distracting the blue shape shifter, and it is very hard to concentrate enough to cast an illusion when One is frantically trying to avoid an enraged mother bent on beating One to a bloody pulp.

Sadly, the Brotherhood was sufficiently distracted for a very battered Mastermind to escape when the phone rang, caller ID showing that it was Rogue's cell phone. Her message was short and to the point. "Ah'm stuck in the X-Mansion. One of y'all get over here and get me out, now! Ah'm about to strangle someone to make them shut up, and then Ah'm gonna strangle y'all for leavin' me here!"

There was a collective sigh of relief from the Brotherhood, but Mystique paled to a light shade of aquamarine. "Rogue! Oh, what have I done? I raised Rogue not to accept betrayal, what if she won't come back? How do I explain something like this? Oh, God - ."

The shape shifter trailed off into incoherency, rapidly approaching hysteria. The Brotherhood exchanged concerned looks. Finally Pietro sighed. "I'll stay and try to calm her down. You guys go and pick up Rogue before she does something drastic."

* * *

_At the X-Mansion…_

Rogue tried not to scream with frustration as she sat in the middle of an argument, the student X-Men demanding to know why Professor Xavier hadn't told them about Mystique being Principal Darkholme. Rogue thought that he could have used it as an exercise on how to identify shape shifters, but apparently not. Busy being amused at the X-Men's expense, Rogue started when Professor Xavier asked for her opinion. Why were they dragging her into this, and how much longer would it take for someone to show up and rescue her. "It's not mah place."

From her place near the fire, Shadowcat spoke up, oblivious to the fact that Rogue wanted nothing more than to be out of here and back at the Boarding House, and had no reason to help them in the first place. "Sure it is. You're, like, one of us now."

Rogue gave the brunette a sour look. "The Hell Ah am! Soon as the boys get here, Ah'm gone, no matter what y'all say!

The gate-speaker rang and Storm pressed a button to answerit just as Shadowcat had started speaking, and the voice box was now snickering loudly. "Glad to hear it, Roguey. Are we coming in to get you, or are the X-Gee – OW! What was that for, yo?" a different voice took over, "Or are the X-Men leaving us out here shivering?"

The front gate was quickly opened, allowing Lance's jeep through. As quickly as they could be telepathically guided, the Brotherhood had joined them in the study. "You ready to go, Rogue?

Rogue stood up. "Ah was ready to go thirty seconds after Ah arrahved. What took y'all so long? How's Mystique?"

Lance opened the door for them to leave. "From what we could make out, Boss-Lady is terrified that you'll leave without giving her a chance to tell her side of the story. What the hell happened, anyway? Mystique is hysterical, you reportedly weren't much better, and the rest of us have very little clue about what happened."

Rogue sighed. "Ah'll explain when we get home. Is there a blanket in the Jeep, mah coat is frozen solid, and Ah'm freezing."

Fred shrugged off his coat and draped it around her, though she nearly buckled under its weight. "Toad took it inside for extra covering two nights ago. But you can borrow my jacket until we get home."

Toad looked indignant. "Ain't my fault I'm cold-blooded, yo. Besides, it's not like any of us expected Miss Southern Weather to lose her coat or anything."

Rogue tried not to roll her eyes at the bickering. "Never mahnd, y'all. Let's just get outta here. Ah wanna hear some explanations about today."

* * *

Upon finally reaching the Boarding House, Rogue had barely made it five steps past the door when Mystique grabbed her in a tight embrace, heedless of any exposed skin. Letting out a breathless '_glurk_' sound, Rogue returned her mother's hug and allowed herself to be guided over to the couch, Mystique's arm still around her shoulders.

The Brotherhood Boys joined them, claiming chairs or floor space as they tried to piece together the day's events into a somewhat comprehensible whole.

Mystique looked ready to tear someone or something apart as she described how Mastermind had ambushed her the instant she showed up at Magneto's "meeting". Pietro still seemed to be in shock at his father's actions, and badly shaken at the results, actually staying quiet as Lance, Todd and Fred recounted how they had found, captured and dealt with Mastermind.

Though she was tired and worn out from the day's happenings, Rogue found herself laughing at Todd's gleeful description of Mastermind running from Mystique and his distinctly battered condition and Lance's delight at her retelling of the snow mobile race, especially with Scott getting his backside handed to him by a girl, and the stumbling attempt at retraction as said girl raised a dangerous eyebrow.

The atmosphere turned more serious as she described the events from her point of view, trying not to fall asleep where she sat. There was a long moment of silence when she finished, finally broken when Mystique noticed that her daughter was nearly asleep and took her upstairs, saying that they would finish the talk in the morning.

Under normal circumstances, Rogue would have objected to being treated like a child, but in this case was too sleepy to protest when Mystique tucked her in, humming as she stroked Rogue's hair. Rogue was no longer six years old, but that didn't make the method any less effective, and she was asleep in a matter of seconds.

It was good to be home.

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_**A/N: OK, next chapter up! Sorry the ending was a little sappy, but hey. Hope I did all right with the whole 'change of destiny' thing, but it was harder than I thought it would be.**_

_**Anyway, you know the drill: review and tell me what you think. Questions, Comments and Critiques are welcome. Flames are laughed at, and then used to light the barbeque, which keeps breaking down on me.**_

_**Thanks, **_

_**Nat.**_


	7. Chapter Six

_Disclaimer: Do I look like I own X-Men: Evolution? Didn't think so._

_Summary: See previous chapters, I'm sick of writing it out all the time._

_A/N: Could someone please tell me what they think of chapter two? Under- or No-reviewed chapters make me wonder if a story is worth continuing. Yeah, I know it's weird, but that's just me._

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Chapter Six

Rogue felt a particular freedom, now that the X-Men were no longer trying to convince her to join them. They all had different reactions to her refusal, but at least the X-Men were no longer walking on eggshells and trying to make her 'see the light'. Jean Grey appeared very relieved that Cyclops was not paying Rogue as much attention as he had previously, while Cyclops had stopped being so careful to the point of skittishness around her. Kitty was still upset at the way Rogue's choice of words when Rogue had bluntly announced that there was no way in Hell that she was joining them.

On the other hand, Kurt and Evan had somehow decided that her refusal to join made her more interesting, and while Rogue didn't mind Kurt's natural exuberance when he showed up to walk or chat with her, she had started seriously considering Pietro's suggestion of wrapping Spyke's skateboard around his skull if he didn't leave her alone.

That particular Monday, Rogue was walking with Kurt, listening to his lively chatter about classes and the evils of homework as he escorted her to her locker. Very unfortunately, they were interrupted by a fizzing sound, and the visage of a normal, fair-skinned boy shimmered, to be replaced by Kurt's natural blue fur.

Both Rogue and Kurt gasped, and Kurt paled at the sound of approaching footsteps, only relaxing when it turned out to be Kitty, who also looked worried. "Like, what are you doing, Kurt! Anyone could see you!"

Rogue frowned at the smaller girl. "We know that, Pryde. Kurt, you'd better get outta here before anyone else fahnd's ya. Ah'll tell the teacher's ya got sick and went home, or something."

Kurt nodded in definite agreement, leading Rogue to wonder if this had happened before. "Thanks Rogue. See you later!"

Her brother disappeared with a _bamf_, and Rogue was stuck alone with Kitty Pryde, trying to come up with a good excuse to get away from her. She settled for just walking off quickly, but the other mutant followed her. "Hey, Rogue, how did you get to my copy of Pride and Prejudice? Evan told me he saw you reading it."

Rogue was of the opinion that Kitty could very easily relate to her literary counterpart, the fourth Bennet sister, but didn't comment on that. "Are you implahing something? Ah didn't swipe your stupid novel."

Pride and Prejudice was actually an acceptable read, if not to Rogue's usual taste, but Rogue was hardly about to say as such. Sadly, her sharp reply had put Kitty on the offensive. "So I'm supposed to believe it got into your locker by accident?"

Unfortunately for Kitty, Rogue had perfected verbal offense and defense by the age of ten, and brushed off Kitty's attempt. "Look, you loaned it to Kurt and he loaned it ta me. Ah was gonna give it back as soon as Ah finished."

Kitty glared and started a rebuttal of sharp disbelief when she knocked straight into a passing student, scattering the flyers he carried all over the place. Rogue rolled her eyes and knelt to help pick them up as the boy helped Kitty with her books. Kitty blushed and stammered as she thanked him, and Rogue fumed as she mocked Kitty. Did the girl have no shame? Or had she forgotten that she was currently dating Lance?

She was drawn out of her angry thoughts when Jason asked if Kitty was trying out for the school play. Apparently, auditions for _Dracula: The Musical_ were being held the next night. Jason walked off, and Rogue turned on Kitty. "Just when Ah though you could not possibly get more pathetic."

Kitty glared at her. "At least I've got a hope of getting cast, unlike you!"

Rogue only raised an eyebrow. In point of fact, Rogue was quite a good actor. Until her powers came out, she had managed to convince all of Caldecott County that she had a skin condition, though she had never has so much as a cold or a rash before then, and no one in Bayville had any idea that 'Principal Darkholme' had anything more than a soft spot for Rogue. The X-Men knew that Principal Darkholme was Mystique, and therefore her guardian, but that didn't count.

Back to the point, how did Kitty, a bubbly valley girl, honestly expect to get a part in a play based off a horror novel? Especially when she was only trying out because of the male lead? "Are you serious? Ah was made for that play. You can't honestly think that they'll cast a 'Dracula's Brahde' who can't stop giggling over him!"

Rogue smirked at Kitty's outraged expression, but the smirk turned to a scowl when she spotted Spyke watching them from behind a locker, holding a video camera. "Hey! What do you think you're doing, porcupahne?"

Realizing he had been caught by two not-in-the-mood girls, Spyke paled, and tried to offer an explanation. "Hey, it's cool, girls. I'm just doing an extra-credit assignment for Social Science."

Rogue glared at him. "Ah'd better not see mah face on that tape, or they're gonna be calling ya 'Spyke-less', as in Ah'll rip out ya spines and stuff 'em down ya throat!"

Turning on her heel, she stalked off to her final class, already planning a routine for the play audition. She was going to knock that superior look right off Miss Pryde's face!

* * *

When Rogue returned to the Boarding House after school, she was in something of a distracted mood. Noticing her quieter than usual demeanor, Todd finally asked what had her so distracted.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Rogue looked up at him. "Oh, nothing much. The school's performing a Dracula play, and Ah'm trahing to decide how Ah should audition, if Ah decide to trah out. Do ya think Ah'd be any good?"

Both mutants jumped as Pietro zoomed into the room. "At the risk of getting thumped, Roguey, you were made for that play. Besides, it'll be good for you to do something for fun once in a while."

Lance and Fred chose that moment to enter, and if the thundering footsteps were anything to go by, they had been chasing Pietro. "Who's doing something for fun? And how much trouble will we be in when Boss-Lady finds out about it?"

Rogue grinned, faintly amused that her team mates had finally started to think a little before rushing into something. "Absolutely none, unless Mama doesn't want us participating in extra activities. The school is holding auditions for a Dracula Musical, and we were talking about whether Ah should audition."

Fred was quiet for a few moments. "The Monster Trucks show I was with was partners with a circus, once. When the insults got too bad and the boss threatened to fire me for trashing equipment, I used to watch the dancers and acrobats. They never laughed at me, and I helped spot them sometimes. I have a tape of some of the routines, and I can show you some, if you do try out. You know, the movement patterns and that."

This was one of the longest speeches Rogue had ever heard from him, and Fred almost never talked about his past, so she was temporarily speechless when Todd joined the conversation. "My granny was in the theatre, once, in props and costumes. When things were tight, she'd make puppets and dolls and sell them for extra cash. When I stayed with her, she'd let me sit and watch while she made costumes or puppets, and explain how she did it."

Lance also paused before adding his two pennies. "My family died when I was twelve, just before my powers showed up, but I remember that my mum loved to dance. She was always humming some tune, or she'd dip to dust a low shelf, or spin out to move something from a cupboard to the table. Little things, but the neighbors said that she could have gone pro if things were different."

Rogue reached out and squeezed his hand as Pietro offered the final opinion. "When I was little, before Mum ran and He dumped me with the Maximoffs, my parents used to sing to us at night. Mum would sing the first parts of a duet, and then look at Him expectantly until He joined in."

Pietro had been rather subdued ever since the revelation of Magneto's part in mind-controlling Mystique to make her attack Rogue, and as annoying as the hyperactive Pietro was, the depressed version was even worse. Rogue smiled softly at the four boys she considered as close as family. "Looks lahke Ah'm trying out, then. Thanks, all of ya."

The atmosphere was approaching what the Brotherhood would normally term 'sappy', especially when you were trying to maintain the 'Tough-Guy/Scary Girl' image. Then Toad spoke up, breaking the mood. "So, have we buttered you up enough to convince you to make fried chicken tonight? Please?"

Rogue couldn't help herself. She laughed.

* * *

The school play differed from the original novel, focusing more on how Dracula became the terrible vampire, and events that happened before the novel, such as where 'Dracula's Brides' came from, and their struggle to resist him, and a climatic fight with an angry mob, after which Dracula decided to visit a less superstitious country until things died down, and summoned a solicitor, David Harker.

The play was supposed to be a Rock Opera, and going by the auditions, most of the dance routines were going to be along the lines of club/disco dancing, admittedly Rogue's weak point.

One of the three Female Leads, however, was the exception to this. Dracula's three Brides were supposed to have been born a lively town's girl, a strong and defiant gypsy, and the quiet daughter of a minor, neighboring nobleman. Rogue was auditioning for the gypsy, who's routines alternated between slow, graceful moves that were supposed to display 'an air of untouchable, lethal, danger' and faster routines to imitate 'a wild, unfettered nature'.

With her powers and very personality, Rogue personified 'untouchable, lethal danger', and one of the routines she had practiced from Fred's tape certainly portrayed the latter, but Rogue was still very surprised and pleased when she landed the role.

She wasn't so pleased when she found out that the 'lively town's girl' was supposed to be played by Kitty Pryde, although Amanda, the dark-skinned and slightly shy girl playing the noblewoman, who was introduced in the opening ballroom scene, seemed all right.

Mystique, as it turned out, was delighted, and faintly amused, at the idea of Rogue performing in a play, and offered to help practice any routines that required a partner, as did a somewhat more reluctant Pietro and Lance.

* * *

At dinner when they returned home from the auditions, however, Mystique had some far less pleasing news to share. It seemed that one of Mystique's many ex-paramours (you couldn't have so many different 'identities' without picking up a few attachments, and sometimes they were necessary for your cover) was in town, and was not in a good mood.

He went by the name of Sabertooth, and was the father of the oldest (and single human) of Mystique's three children. He was a 'Feral' mutant, much like Wolverine, and carried some kind of blood-feud against that particular X-Man. Mystique had looked even more serious than usual when she had warned the Brotherhood to stay away from him, for their own sake.

Rogue knew that her mother wouldn't take such serious measures without good reason. "He's really that dangerous, Mama? What do we do if he accidentally catches us alone?"

Mystique sighed. "Try not to let that happen. Stay together, and try to keep in populated areas, as Sabertooth never did attack crowds. He liked to hunt people down and corner them alone before attacking."

Lance frowned. "Sounds serious. All right, Boss-Lady, we'll do it your way, but will we have to keep this up forever, or will he move on after he clashes with the X-Geeks? Because we all know they won't let him run around for long before someone forces a confrontation."

Mystique put down her fork and gave all of them a stern look. "Wolverine and Sabertooth have been waging a hit-and-chase war for years, longer than any of you have been alive. They will clash, until one of them loses and either runs off or is dumped somewhere inhospitable. But until then, I want all of you to be very careful, and we will be working a lot harder on combat training, just in case."

Pietro sighed and stood up, zipping around to collect the empty plates and put them in the dishwasher. "Down to the training room then?"

Rogue also stood up, rolling her eyes. "Don't sound so hard-done-by, Pietro. You could use the extra practice."

* * *

With Sabertooth as such added incentive, the Brotherhood's fighting skills improved dramatically. Co-ordination and fighting as a team also started getting better, for which Rogue was very thankful, as it made things a lot easier in a fight when she could trust her team mates to work together without her specific instructions every few seconds.

Rogue's control sessions were also coming along well. She and Agatha had broken her absorption powers down into three parts: abilities and physical attributes, personality, and memories, and had been working on a step-by-step basis to stop her absorbing them. It was even slower going than controlling the voices already in her head, but Rogue could finally stop herself from taking on the personality and psyche of people she absorbed, much to everyone's relief.

Now Rogue was working on blocking memories, although she couldn't manage more than one aspect at a time. And it still gave her headaches.

With schoolwork, rehearsals, regular combat training and working on controlling her powers, Rogue was kept very busy, and would later blame fatigue for her failure to question why _Spyke_, rather than Shadowcat, would invite her to the Institute to practice one of their joint routines.

* * *

Five minutes into the private practice, and Rogue was already trying not to strangle her companions. Spyke had brought along that stupid video camera, and insisted on filming them while making stupid commentary. As if that wasn't enough, Kitty had apparently forgotten that their respective characters were supposed to have some very different moves, and kept protesting that Rogue needed to 'get with the program'. Whatever the X-Men might think, Rogue's powers were _not_ a photocopying device for someone else's dance moves!

Only a few minutes after that, things went from bad to worse when Sabertooth showed up and attacked them. He grabbed Spyke first, lifting him over his head, and Rogue was just pulling off a glove when she did a double-take at Evan's rebuttal. "Been expecting you. You gotta be sharp if you're gonna mess with the Spyke!"

If that wasn't a rip-off of Wolverine's most frequent line, Rogue didn't know what was, and what did Evan mean, they'd been expecting him? It would have been nice of them to warn her that a bloodthirsty mutant had already clashed with them and was probably looking for a chance to get them alone. The X-Men really were stupid at times.

Evan apparently managed to 'spike' Sabertooth, who roared and threw him into Rogue, knocking them both down. Kitty had been standing, frozen, as Sabertooth ran toward her, and phased on instinct as he threw himself forward and landed flat on the grass. "Right. I am so sure!"

Struggling to get into a position where she could get Evan's weight off her, Rogue tried to warn Kitty not to be so confidant, but was too late when Kitty turned toward Evan and Rogue, giving Sabertooth the chance to sneak up behind her and throw the girl into a tree before she had time to react or phase.

Wondering why she had ever let Spyke talk her into practicing with them, Rogue glared as she pushed Spyke off her and got to her feet. Seeing Sabertooth heading toward an unconscious Kitty, Rogue's glare turned nasty. "Hey, back off, Ugly!"

Shockingly enough, the feral mutant's eyes flickered in recognition. "Oh, God, don't tell me Raven had another kid! You smell too much like her to be anything else."

Rogue's eyes narrowed, and she thanked whatever higher powers were listening that both X-Men were still unconscious. "At least Ah ain't yours. Ta think Ah never believed Mama when she said Graydon had your rotten looks."

Sabertooth snarled and grabbed her, obviously not pleased at the comparison. Bracing her weight against his strong grip, Rogue was millimeters away from touching his bare wrist when Wolverine jumped out of the bushes, claws out. Hopefully he'd wait until Sabertooth dropped her before attacking.

Thankfully, Sabertooth decided that a crack at Wolverine was more important than his ex-lover's only daughter and let her go seconds before Wolverine tackled him. The two exchanged insults and blows, but the fight didn't last long before Wolverine managed to throw Sabertooth off…

…right into the touch of Rogue's bare hand.

Rogue managed to block the psyche and most of the flood of memories, but didn't manage to stop the physical effects, which meant growing claws and a lot of extra hair. The long hair she didn't mind so much, nor the several extra inches of height, and the elongated canines would do wonders for her in the play, but the fur was going as soon as she got to a razor. "Man, Ah just shaved mah legs last nahght! See what happens when Ah accept the offer to come over and do anything with the X-Men!"

Wolverine smirked and called her transformation the 'finishing touch'. Glaring at the bad pun, Rogue was about to show him another 'finishing touch', but restrained herself. She pulled out her cell phone to call home for a lift, but paused when Wolverine turned to glare at the other two teens. "You planned this, didn't you Porcupine?"

Rogue stopped dead. Spyke had _planned_ an encounter with Sabertooth? Had he managed to misplace his mind or something? Pietro was right about Evan's lack of brains when thinking up schemes. The mutant in question had the grace to look sheepish as he answered. "Er, yeah, a little bit."

Wolverine seemed even less happy about this than Rogue was. "Well, don't do it again! You could have all been killed! And don't give me them puppy-dog eyes, Half-Pint, you're grounded, and so are the rest of ya."

He lifted Sabertooth, slinging him over his shoulder, and Rogue decided that now was probably not the best time to remind Wolverine that he was really in no position to inflict any punishment on _her_. Spyke possessed no such wisdom. "Um, for how long?"

Wolverine sighed, obviously not wanting to deal with it right now. "I don't know. Until she-wolf over there gets her hair cut, anyway."

Rogue's eyes widened in indignation. _She-wolf! Her?_ Logan brushed off her Pissed-Off-Glare, so she turned it on the two teenagers, who wilted under her Death-Glare-Of-Doom and scurried to follow Wolverine and his dubious protection from Rogue. "Like, what are you going to do with Sabertooth now?"

Rogues thought that Evan should just keep his mouth shut and hope nobody noticed him until the fuss died down, but the dark-skinned boy didn't take the hint. "Yeah, Scott said that you two have been duking it out for years."

That was an interesting way to describe a Blood-feud between two mortal enemies. Rogue just shook her head as she dialed the number for the Boarding House. Wolverine growled as he answered the question. "He and I have got unfinished business."

Rogue fell in step with the X-Men as Todd picked up the phone. "Brotherhood of Bayville Boarding House. Cartoons are on, so this better be good."

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Trah this for 'good': The X-Idiots trahed to set a trap for Sabertooth, and messed it up." She held the phone away from her ear at her mother's audible shriek of 'WHAT?' in the background. "Ah'm fahne, Sabertooth is unconscious, but Ah could use a rahde home. Now."

She couldn't help smirking at the silence, and then Toad's reply. "Sure, Rogue. I'll get Lance… hey, Boss-Lady, careful! Breakable mutant here!"

Mystique had grabbed the phone, and instructed Rogue not to leave the Institute until she arrived to collect her. As the shape shifter hung up, Rogue absently wondered how many Road Rules would be broken before Mystique broke down the Mansion's doors to find her. Rogue closed her cell phone just in time to hear Wolverine inform the others that Sabertooth would be getting 'a cooling off period'.

Rogue allowed herself a broad grin. Given the animosity between the two, this probably translated to something along the lines of: 'I'm going to beat him up while the Professor isn't looking and then dump him at the North Pole.' Now all she had to do was wait for her mother to show up and hope that the X-Men didn't attack on sight.

* * *

Rogue had been correct about Mystique's haste to find her. The small group of mutants had barely entered the X-Mansion when the doors crashed open to admit a furious Mystique.

The X-Men tensed, ready to fight, but the blue shape shifter ignored them, rushing to where Rogue was trying to hide her current appearance and throwing her arms around the girl.

The X-Men changed from 'battle-ready' to 'gob-smacked' in the space of a few seconds.

Kitty looked confused as she looked at Scott, who was standing next to Evan. "Like, didn't Mystique try to kill Rogue a few weeks ago? What's with all this?"

Evan backed his partner-in-crime-and-long-term-grounding up. "Yeah, man, and how did she even get into the Mansion, anyway? I thought the Brotherhood couldn't get in unless we let them."

Rogue was almost inclined to feel sorry for Spyke and Shadowcat, given the amount of angry glares they had received in the past half hour. Mystique looked perfectly happy to shape shift into a tiger and maul them to death, but Storm placed herself in the way, which meant that she had to content herself with Death Glares. "That's none of your business, but while we are asking questions, perhaps one of you X-Men would like to tell me why you thought three teenagers would be a match for Sabertooth?"

Oh, boy. Quiet voice with a hint of sarcasm always spelt trouble for whoever was on the receiving end of her ire. Best to cut this meeting short before it got any worse. "Come on, let's just get outta here. Ah need ta do something about these sahde effects, as soon as possible."

Mystique's eyes widened as she looked at her daughter properly, but thankfully she let it go with one final glare as she bundled Rogue out of the door. Hanging with the X-Men really was bad for both your sanity and continued health.

The Brotherhood were waiting as soon as she entered the door. Seeing her current condition, Pietro grinned. "Love the long hair on you, Roguey."

Rogue snarled at him, and very nearly offered a first-hand demonstration of the _other_ things she'd picked up from Sabertooth, like the claws. Luckily for Pietro, Fred noticed the danger signs. "He's right, Rogue; you do look nice with longer hair. You should at least try it out."

It was official: this day could not possibly get any worse. Thankful for the praise, but not in the mood for compliments, Rogue stalked off to find a razor for her legs. Maybe even a knife or a full-body wax. If the X-Men had any sense of self-preservation, they had better stay out of her way for the next several days.

* * *

Things did look up in the following weeks, to Rogue's slight surprise. Evan and Kitty had both landed with a month of afternoon detentions, courtesy of a highly displeased Principal Darkholme. Evan had made a run for it when it turned out that Rogue did show up on his infernal tape, knowing that he was on thin ice already, but she hadn't bothered following up on her threat. It was too much fun watching him turn pale whenever he caught sight of her.

Rogue had ultimately decided to keep the long hair, although it took some getting used to, and viewing her powers in a positive light had prompted a breakthrough in her training sessions, and with a lot of concentration she could now take on very minor traits of people she had absorbed.

The fangs from Sabertooth and had gone down very well in dress rehearsals, and later in the play itself, and some of the dance and choreographed fight routines were infinitely easier with Kurt's increased flexibility.

All in all, life was good.

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A/N: OK, from the little we saw of the rock opera in the X-Men episode, I had a very hard time matching it with what I know of the original novel, so I improvised. If I offended any Dracula purists, I apologize for that. I also used wikipedia, and found out that 'Dracula' rates second on the 'number of adaptations' list, with over 160 films featuring Dracula. The plot was inspired by another musical, 'Wicked'

_Anyway, another chapter is up, and waiting on reviews. Opinions and suggestions are welcome, and if you see anything I can improve on, please tell me._

_Thanks,_

_Nat_


	8. Chapter Seven

_Disclaimer: Despite repeated begging, I still don't own X-Men: Evolution_

_Summary: See previous chapters._

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**Chapter Seven**

Signing her name at the bottom of the page, Rogue threw down the pen and leaned back in her chair, trying not to look too gleeful. Four days of near-constant work (and a healthy dose of knowledge from her absorbed psyches) and her Easter Holiday homework was finished. Now all she had to do was resist the urge to gloat when the rest of the Brotherhood had to do theirs, and ignore the complaints that it was un-natural and that Rogue had an unfair advantage.

Ok, so Storm had a very detailed knowledge of geography and related weather patterns, Cyclops was a very good student, Agatha Harkness had been around since the Salem Witch Trials and the various psyches were fluent in several different languages, but that was beside the point.

Hearing a call from downstairs, Rogue stretched her cramped hands and put the schoolwork away before heading down to dinner.

Looking up from setting the table, Lance raised an eyebrow. "Good to see you're still alive, Rogue. What have you been doing up there, anyway?"

Forget that earlier resolution not to gloat. Rogue retaliated with a smug look. "Finishing my homework so Ah can spend the rest of the holiday lounging around while you do yours. One of the few times Ah've ever been glad to have a few extra minds running around in mah head."

Pietro scowled. "Unfair advantage, Roguey. You know that willingly doing homework is considered un-natural, right?"

Toad joined them, followed by Fred, who was carrying a large dish of pasta. "Rogue's not the only one, yo. Can't you write real fast, as well?"

Fred put the dish down on the table. "But wouldn't he have to think really fast, too? Study-thinking isn't really his strong point, ya know."

Pietro looked affronted. Rogue and Lance tried not to laugh. Todd grinned. Fred looked puzzled. It had been a perfectly sensible question, after all. A soft laugh came from the doorway to the living room, where Mystique stood. "Fascinating as this conversation is, I'm afraid homework will have to wait. We have a very unusual mission to go on."

The Brotherhood boys brightened at the idea of a mission, even if it did cut into their holiday relaxation time. Rogue frowned and tilted her head in question. "Define 'very unusual'. What exactly are we supposed to do on this mission?"

Mystique had been wondering how long it would take for someone to pick up on that. "I need some of the files from the Cerebro Database. Magneto is up to something again, and I need information to figure out what. Charles has offered his X-Men a choice between Survival Training at a camp, and Survival Training with Wolverine. I need you five to keep the younger X-Men occupied, while I take care of getting Cerebro."

Pietro frowned. "But what if the X-Geeks choose Survival Training with Wolverine? It's not like they're just going to welcome us into the Institute for a few days."

Rogue had absorbed Wolverine, and knew his idea of 'Training'.  
Todd had survived a bad encounter with the Danger Room, which was apparently just daily training.  
Fred had fought Wolverine one-on-one, and admitted that he was a tough opponent.  
Lance had heard horror stories from Kitty.  
None of them had the faintest illusion that the X-Men would willingly choose Wolverine's idea of 'Survival Training', and stated as much.

Mystique smiled again as she watched her mismatched team. They were hardly up to the X-Men's level in physical training and discipline, but she was still very proud of them. "A few other teens will be attending the camp also. They are of no consequence to the mission, so ignore them unless they provoke you. The bus will be here to pick you up at nine tomorrow morning."

* * *

The next morning saw five Brotherhood teens in a commotion as they tried to get ready to leave, all somewhat less than pleased at having to get up so early during the holiday. Pietro had typically left his packing to the last minute, and caused a small tornado rushing around trying to find everything.

After a rushed breakfast and a final warning from Mystique to try and behave, they were stuck outside waiting for the bus and everyone else who would be stuck on this little adventure.

Stepping onto the bus, Rogue threw herself in a seat next to Kurt. "Hi. You get stuck at the camp too?"

Kurt's reply was forestalled by Cyclops. "The Brotherhood? What are you lot doing here?"

Rogue raised an amused eyebrow at him. "Same thing as y'all, Ah imagine. Mystique said we needed training in discipline. Ah'm suprahsed y'all ain't training with Wolverine."

Kurt laughed. "You've never been in one of Herr Logan's survival training courses! I think ve have a better chance of surviving Camp Ironback, _ja_?"

Several seats away, Todd heard the conversation and shuddered. "You're telling me, yo. That room nearly killed me that time they asked me to join."

Sitting behind him, Fred grinned. "They tried to recruit you too?" His brow furrowed. "Is Pietro the _only_ one who the X-Geeks haven't tried to recruit?"

Sitting behind Kitty and trying to get her attention, Lance leaned back over the seat. "They planned to recruit me, but events got in the way and they decided it was a bad idea. You take one desperate measure and cause one earthquake and you're branded for life!"

Kitty had been studiously Ignoring Lance, but finally turned around to refute the statement. "Desperate measure? You tried to steal the answers to the exams and brought down half the school block! What do you call that?"

Lance grinned at her. "A mistake? Got you talking to me, though, didn't I?"

Next to Kurt, Rogue was trying not to laugh as she watched Summers slowly turn red. Any sarcastic comments she might have made, however, were cut off as the bus jerked to a halt. With a sigh and a silent prayer that she could get through this without going mad, Rogue led her team off the bus.

* * *

"You will not be making wallets, necktie racks or paperweights. You will not be engaging in potato-sack races, water-balloon tosses or pony rides. You will be going on twenty mile hikes, rappelling down two hundred foot cliffs and crossing treacherous waters with no more than a rope and all the courage you can muster. Do you read me?"

Rogue had just discovered why Irene and Mystique hadn't liked her going on Summer Camps. It seemed like it was either activities that would bore her to tears, or psychotic camp directors like this one. "Yes, Sergeant Hawke, sir."

The man had obviously been a parade officer. "I said do you read me?"

The teens all repeated the affirmative. The man folded his arms and continued. "Welcome to Ironback Survival Camp, a name you won't soon forget. Now, here we have a young man, Scott Sumner." The Brotherhood stifled amusement as the sergeant ignored said young man's attempt to correct him. "Whose scholastic achievements at Bayville High have earned him the rank of group leader. You will be following his lead. You have ten minutes to stow your bags and report to the training area. Dismissed!"

The non-mutant teens picked up their bags and obeyed. The Mutants stayed still in dismayed silence. The X-Men could follow Cyclops's lead if they wanted, but the Brotherhood sure as hell weren't! Rogue weighed the temptation of hot-wiring the school bus against the far-reaching consequences of abandoning the mission, and regretfully decided against it. She spent a few minutes listening to the X-Men complain and be silenced by Scott and Jean, then turned back to her team.

None of them seemed very happy about the prospect of having to follow Cyclops. From the way Lance was eyeing the bus, Rogue wasn't the only one who had been thinking of hijacking it. "No, Lance. Much as Ah'd lahke to, we can't just ditch this place and make a run for it. Definitely keep it in mind, though."

Blob scowled and folded his arms. "Group leader, scholastic achievement. That should have been me!"

Pietro rolled his eyes. "Blob, you can't even _spell_ scholastic achievement."

Blob scowled at him. "Sure I can. S-C-H-O…"

Rogue placed a gloved hand on his arm, sending Pietro a Look. "He was being sarcastic, Fred. Pietro, knock it off."

Fred looked slightly downcast. "I knew that. Besides, I can spell 'doomed', which is what they're going to be once I get them alone in the woods."

Toad grinned and struck a dramatic pose. "Yeah, I can hear it now: '_Search and rescue efforts abandoned for missing teens. No traces found.'_ Ha ha."

Rogue closed her eyes. Was she the _only_ one in the Brotherhood who even knew what stratigic thinking was? That sort of thing would never work, especially when their mentor was the most powerful telepath on the planet and could find them in a second! Thankfully, Lance appeared to be thinking along the same lines as her. "Easy guys. We'll beat them where it hurts the most: In public, in front of everyone. Let's go."

With a final grumble, the Brotherhood picked up their bags and headed to the cabins, praying that none of them had been paired with the X-Men. This was going to be a very long week.

* * *

The first two days weren't too bad, consisting of hikes, running and simple obstacle courses. The third day, however, was when things got nasty. They were running another, harder obstacle course when Lance and Cyclops decided to really get competitive. Rogue and Pietro were leading the track part of the course, closely followed by Kurt. Jean, Cyclops and Lance caught up to them on the Ropes part of the course, but when Blob tried to follow, the structure nearly collapsed, causing Rogue to loose several inches before she regained her grip. Meanwhile, Lance and Cyclops were neck and neck to the top, where they had to slide down another rope to the river.

Jean, Kurt and Rogue were meters behind them when Cyclops slipped and fell into the water. The slight tremor told Rogue that it probably wasn't an accident, but it would teach the X-Men to be prepared for any eventuality. Jean bumped into Rogue, pushing her over. That probably was an accident, but it didn't stop Rogue from curling her ankle around Jean's as she fell, tripping the red-head, then rolling to her feet as she kept running. She put on an extra burst of speed and made it to the rafts, pushing off as Cyclops blasted Lance's raft in retaliation, causing it to tip over.

Rogue altered her course slightly and dragged him on board. Raised next to one of the biggest rivers in the world, and with two people paddling, Rogue's boat had nearly caught up when Cyclops ran across the finish line, arms held high as though he was an Olympic champion. Lance muttered something rude as they landed and waited for the rest of their team to catch up.

Then came the inevitable confrontation. Truthfully, Rogue was surprised that everyone had managed to hold back this long. In the Brotherhood's defense, it was hard not to be annoyed when the X-Men seemed more pleased with Cyclops knocking Lance in the water than they did about him winning the race. Blob was the first on the offensive. "That loser Scott should have lost, and you know it!"

Pietro backed him up. "Yeah, just because he slipped and took a swim, the guy went ballistic."

Kurt took up the challenge. "Slipped? More like Avalanched!"

Todd joined in. "He stole that first place ribbon!"

Kitty defended her leader. "He did not!"

Evan glared. "You want that ribbon so much? How about I nail it to your chest, freak?"

Oh that did it! Rogue stepped in front of her team mate. "Back off porcupahne, or you can forget the ribbon, because Ah'll nail _you_ ta that tree with your own spikes!"

Pietro seized the opportunity to taunt his rival. "And who are you calling 'freak', Daniels? At least we aren't whining about the lack of sidewalks!"

Evan snarled in response. "How about I ventilate that Ego of yours, Maximoff? Just like old times!"

"Go ahead and try, Slow-Mo!"

The fight was broken up by a loud blast from Sergeant Hawke's whistle, followed by a command for sixty push-ups. Rogue silently cursed the X-Men.

* * *

Both X-Men and Brotherhood were only a few seconds away from collapse when they finally finished the push-ups, but Sergeant Hawke had other ideas. "Now on your feet. Here at Ironback we've got ways to weed the Loudmouths from the Tough Guys. We fight it out in the wilderness, against the wilderness. You grunts want to prove how tough you are, fine." He gestured toward the nearby mountain. "The first team to snatch the flag I planted on the top of Mount Humiliation and bring it back to me, wins."

Rogue helped Blob to his feet, mentally cursing Hawke for the umpteenth time. There was a catch in that deal, she just knew it! Pietro didn't share her concerns. "That's a cakewalk. My team can take a sauna, I'll get it myself."

Words could not describe how tempting that idea was. Unfortunately, Rogue still waited to find out the catch as Kurt rose to the challenge. "Not if I get there first!"

Sergeant Hawke glared at them. "The whole team or no one!" Ah, that was the loophole. "As proof, I want a snapshot of every member right there at the top. Are we clear?"

Unfortunately, very much so. "Sir, yes, sir!"

Accessing Sabertooth's memory, Rogue mentally ran through the various ways of disemboweling a person as Hawke informed them that they would be leaving in five minutes from opposite trails. Lance couldn't resist a final taunt. "Better say your goodbyes 'Sumner', cause you guys aren't coming back!"

Cyclops stalked toward him. "Oh, you got something in mind, Rocktumbler? Because I – "

Jean Grey cut him off. "Scott, what do you think you're doing?"

Did that girl second guess everyone? Ignore that, did Cyclops even floss his teeth without her permission? Rogue listened when her team-mate had a question or idea to improve a plan, but not with that kind of attitude. "What? Nothing. I'm just tired of those delinquents getting away with everything while we're stuck playing by the rules!"

Lance took offence. "Hey, we don't need our powers to beat you X-Geeks!"

Summers glared back. "Fine then, we'll all play it straight! You know what, we'll wave to you from the top!"

Lance was about to continue the argument, but Rogue sighed and grabbed his wrist, leading the rest of the Brotherhood off. "Don't stoop to his level, Avalanche. Shut up and let's go."

Jean apparently didn't notice that everyone else had left. "Good, we're all competing fairly, no powers. And I, personally, am very proud of – yah!"

She was cut off as Scott grabbed her arm and dragged her away.

* * *

The Brotherhood had reached the base of the mountain and was surveying the cliffs. There was a relatively smooth trail winding around the mountain, but it would take most of the day, and involved almost as much sheer climbing as if they just scaled the cliff. Rogue studied the side of the mountain. "Toad, do you think you can make it without help?"

Toad was several meters up the cliff in a few hops, his powerful legs and sticking grip making it easy. "No problem, yo."

Lance frowned. "If we tie a rope around Blob and let him climb, two of us can go up that way. But that still leaves one down here."

Rogue smirked as she drew on Kurt's agility and flipped up to land near Toad. "Every Rule has a loophole. Ah'm not using my powers; Ah'm just tapping into someone else's abilities. It doesn't count."

Pietro shrugged and caught the rope that Rogue threw at him. "OK then, let's get this show on the road."

The climb wasn't easy by any means, and by the laws of physics, none of the ledges and out croppings should have been able to hold Blob's weight. That problem was solved by Fred kicking or punching a hole in the cliff, pulling himself up, and repeating the process as Lance and Pietro walked up the cliff below him. Rogue brought up the rear, and was therefore stuck listening to the running commentary. "Man, if he slips and falls we are history. Death by blubber-bomb."

Lance tilted his head away from some falling pebbles. "Fastest way to the top is a straight line, Pietro. We are winning this race, make no mistake!"

A few meters beneath them, Rogue sighed, then started to climb around so that she was beside them. Going after Cerebro with her mother had to be a lot easier than this. She hoped Mystique was having a better time than they were. "Then do you boys think you could stop talking and start thinking about the next step? The comments are starting to annoy me."

Fred had reached the top, and disappeared from sight, leaving Pietro and Lance hanging in mid-air. "Sorry, Rogue. Hey, Freddy, a helping hand? Pull us up."

The two boys shot upwards, bumping against the cliff. Rogue followed at a more sedate pace, snickering at the change in talking. "Yaaah! Ow, ow, ow, ow! Freddy, stop, stop! Oof, Freddy, stop! Hey, stop!"

Rogue climbed over the cliff to see Fred, Lance and Pietro untying themselves, and Todd nowhere to be seen. "Where to now, and where's Toad?"

There was a tunnel into the cliff. "An abandoned mine?"

Blob shrugged, "Toad's checking for a shortcut."

A second later, Toad reappeared. "Hey, there's a tunnel in here that's like a stairway to the top!"

Lance grinned as he pulled away a plank blocking the way. "Now you're talking! That flag is ours!"

Rogue glanced at the board Lance had just ripped off, noticing the large red letters of '**DANGER!'** She rolled her eyes and followed her team mates in. There didn't seem to be any other way up, so they would just have to be careful.

* * *

Of course, the words 'careful' and 'teenage boys' didn't usually appear in the same sentence. They ran along the passage way until they came to the tunnel, actually a shaft, which Toad had mentioned. It did provide a straight route to the top, but something blocked it, probably more boards. Lance glared at Toad. "You bonehead! We can't get through there, it's blocked!"

Toad grinned sheepishly. "I figured you could, you know, avalanche it loose a bit."

Lance was about to reply when Rogue cut in, grabbing his hand. "The sign said '**Keep Out. Danger**' for a reason, guys. Start a rockslide and you'll bring half the mountain down on us! The ladder up doesn't look rusted, so Toad or Ah will climb up and see what the blockage is, _and then_ we'll figure out how to get past it."

Toad edged away from Lance. "Heh heh, I'll go. Just hang tight, yo."

Sure enough, it was more boards. "Pietro, run back and get that rope. Toad, see if you can move a few of those boards, but be careful. Lance, Ah'm going up to help Toad, throw us the rope when Pietro gets back."

Carefully making her way up, Rogue and Toad worked the boards loose, leaving a more solid one at the edge in place and tying the rope to it so Lance and Pietro could climb up. Fred was large enough that he only had to brace himself against the shaft wall rather than rely on the rope. There was a bit of a struggle as he pulled himself out, but they had just made it as the X-Men climbed over the ridge. Lance and Scott glared at each other as Fred pointed to the top of the mountain, only meters away. "Pietro?"

The speed demon smirked. "Already there."

A gust of wind with distinctive white hair shot to the top, arriving at the same time as a _bamf_ and a cloud of smoke and sulphur. Kurt and Pietro tugged back and forth at the flag as the rest of their teams ran to join them. Further fighting was cut off at the appearance of the X-Jet and Storm's voice. "X-Men, the Professor is in danger, and so is Mystique."

Hostilities were temporarily laid aside as both teams rallied in defense of their leaders. They were just about to board the jet when Jean stopped them. "Wait! We still need to get that snapshot for Sergeant Hawke!"

That girl needed to sort out her priorities. Pietro stared at the red-head in disbelief. "Boss-Lady and your brilliant Professor X are in danger, and you're worried about a stupid photo? He'll probably think we just got lost going up the mountain!"

Rogue sighed, tossing the small camera at Storm. "Let's just get this over with. Stop glaring and pose for the camera, all of you."

One quick photo later, and they were on their way back to Bayville and the X-Mansion. How all of the X-Men planned to change into their spare uniforms in the not-so-spacious jet, however, was anyone's guess.

* * *

They arrived at the X-Mansion and rushed down to the Danger Room, just in time to see Professor X and Mystique cornered against a wall, and Wolverine unconscious near the door. Of course, Cyclops and Lance couldn't let it pass without an opening comment. "Take a break, Wolverine!" "We'll take it from here."

Standing next to Professor Xavier, Mystique looked faintly surprised, which was a rather impressive achievement. "Well now, this is a surprise."

Juggernaut ignored them and continued his rush to the Professor and Mystique, but was halted as Jean Grey's telekinesis lifted him into the air. She wasn't strong enough, however, and soon faltered. Juggernaut turned around to put her out of commission, but fell to the side as he was hit by the combined force of eye-beams from Rogue and a body-slam by Blob. "Unstoppable, meet the unmovable!"

Kurt used the distraction to teleport onto Juggernaut's shoulders and unclasp one of the locks on his helmet before being caught and thrown away. Juggernaut charged Blob and Rogue, sending Blob flying as Rogue darted out of the way. Cyclops came to Blob's defense with another blast of eye-beams, before diving out of the way of a large piece of broken equipment. Juggernaut had no time to follow up on that, however, as a localized earthquake made the floor ripple under him, trapping his feet. Juggernaut staggered, then fell as Rogue darted close and swept his feet out from under him. "The bigger they are…"

Pietro dashed up behind Juggernaut and unlatched a second lock, then zipped away again as Juggernaut regained his feet and sent Rogue flying toward Blob. "One fall won't stop me, skunk-head! I'm the Juggernaut!"

Couldn't anyone come up with a more original insult? 'Skunk-head' was getting very old, very quickly. On the other hand… Rogue smirked as an idea occurred. Animals were a lot easier to shape shift into than humans were, and Rogue had a better grip on the powers of family members. "Blob, throw me at Juggernaut!"

Thankfully, Blob wasn't one to question orders, and sent her flying right back as Rogue shape shifted into a skunk, hitting Juggernaut with a full dose right in the face.

There were more than a few giggles, despite the battle situation, and Juggernaut was too busy staggering away from the now-human Rogue to stop Storm's winds from pinning him in place, or Shadowcat and Spyke from phasing out of the wall and undoing the final latches. Clinging to the wall, Toad shot out his tongue and yanked Juggernaut's helmet away from him.

Now vulnerable to Xavier's psychic blasts, Juggernaut could only roar in fury and charge at the Professor and Mystique. To his credit, he got to within a meter of the two before collapsing, out cold. For those who knew her, the slight smile Mystique gave them showed how proud she was of her team. However, her only comment was a dry, "Now there is something you won't see every day."

Professor Xavier rested his chin on his hands. "I agree. And that's a shame."

A quick glance at the rest of the Brotherhood indicated a desire to make themselves scarce before they had to endure another speech about Mutant Unity. "Come on, all of you, let's get out of here before you're all invited to a slumber party."

Sarcasm aside, the idea of a sleepover with Kitty and Jean, which would probably turn into 'girl-talk-involving-boys' and 'makeovers', was enough to give Rogue nightmares. She ran after Mystique, closely followed by Todd, Fred and Pietro. Lance stuck around long enough to exchange a final parting shot with Cyclops and say goodbye to Kitty, who blushed, then followed the others.

* * *

Returning back to the Boarding House, the first order of business, as far as the younger Brotherhood was concerned, was to flop down on the nearest surface and not move. Lying across an armchair, Rogue opened one eye, looking up at her mother. "Please tell me we at least got the files from Cerebro?"

Mystique sighed. "You are all going to ruin your backs if you stay like that. Unfortunately, no, Juggernaut flattened Cerebro when he was fighting Wolverine. We'll have to try something else another time." She looked faintly amused at the chorus of groans from the Brotherhood. "It can wait, though. Go and lie down, all of you. I'll wake you up in time for dinner."

The Brotherhood dragged themselves to their feet and made it up the stairs. Deciding that she was going to fall asleep anyway, Rogue took pity upon her self and used Storm's control over the winds to float upstairs.

If Rogue never saw another Holiday Camp or the Professor's 'Evil Sibling' again in her life, it would be far too soon.

_x_

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A/N: One more chapter up! I'm currently working on the last episodes of Season One, which begs the question: Should I keep it all one story, or split up the seasons. On a further note, does anyone know where I can get my hands on the complete Season Four? My collection is a bit incomplete.

_Anyway, Review and tell me what you think. Constructive critisism is welcomed, Flames are laughed at, and feedback is any writer's greatest reward._

_Thanks,  
Nat._


	9. Chapter Eight

_Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men: Evolution. Deal with it.  
__Summary: See previous chapters._

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* * *

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Chapter Eight

Rogue closed her eyes and concentrated, feeling her mother take her hand. She felt the familiar tug and focused on blocking the absorption of Mystique's abilities and physical attributes. She felt the rush of energy and memories, but not the peculiar detachment from her physical self that came with Mystique's shape shifting powers. After ten seconds, Mystique broke away, gasping, and both mutants opened their eyes.

It had taken much training and determination, but Rogue's control had developed to the point where she could block physical attributes and abilities (the encounter with Sabertooth had been wonderful motivation, as had walking around with a greenish cast to her skin for two days after absorbing Todd) or block their psyches, and it took longer for people to pass out when she absorbed them.

Mystique gave her daughter a proud smile, not quite up to speaking. Rogue returned it, then closed her eyes again to 'file away' the memories. 'Filing' was a method that Rogue and Agatha Harkness had developed to keep the absorbed psyches at bay. They were filing cabinets, one for the X-Men, one for the Brotherhood, and one for everyone else. Each cabinet was divided into a section for each psyche, then sub-sections of 'personal memories/useless knowledge', 'useful knowledge' and 'abilities'. It had taken a lot of work to set up, but it was worth it to not have extra voices clamoring in her head all day.

Rogue was just 'closing' Mystique's 'file' when a memory slipped lose, flashing before her closed eyelids.

_A forest at night…_

_A well-lit room in an old, abandoned castle. A man doing experiments…_

_The sound of a child crying, and a woman's angry cry of 'You Monster! What did you do to him?'…_

_A cloaked figure running, holding something tight to her chest, __pursued by wolves as she tried to escape…_

_A fragile wood-and-rope bridge. A momentary pause to regain her balance half-way across._

_A second too slow as a wolf grabbed her cloak, causing her to stumble…_

_Losing her grip on the bundle she carried, seeing it fall out of her arms and into the river far below. A cry of grief and despair as she reached to catch it and missed…_

_An expression of horror and loss on a blue-skinned face, golden eyes filled with pain…_

_Watching as __a man waded into the river, picking the child out of the water and showing it to his wife. Both of them holding the baby close, ignoring the strange appearance._

Rogue's eyes snapped open to reveal a now very worried Mystique, still looking faintly tired. "Rogue? Is everything all right?"

Rogue knew the circumstances surrounding her birth, how Magneto had taken both her and her fraternal twin from Mystique. Knowing about it was bad enough, but living through it… Careful to avoid skin contact, Rogue threw herself into her mother's arms, feeling like a little girl again, needing comfort and reassurance. "Ah saw a memory of the nahght you lost Kurt. Ah never knew how bad it was."

Mystique's arms tightened around the girl as she kissed the top of her daughter's head, protected by Rogue's hair as she quoted; "'_**Of all the words ever heard or seen, the saddest are: What Might Have Been.**_' But I was too late, and Xavier got to Kurt first. Still, Kurt is happy at the Institute, and I doubt that we could get three words of the story out before someone started calling us liars."

Rogue's eyes narrowed in contemplation, "Maybe not. Summers and Grey have been trying to keep an eye on me ever since the Sabertooth incident, and Ah've felt her trahing to read mah thoughts on more than one occasion." A wicked smirk. "Ah just think of the most annoying song Ah know, and she leaves. But if Ah let her see that memory…"

Mystique completed the thought. "Then she is almost certain to tell Xavier about it, and Xavier has stopped keeping secrets when it concerns his students. Very clever, Rogue."

Further conversation, and Rogue's reply, was cut off by a crash from downstairs, and what sounded like a debate for pizza or Chinese for dinner. The argument was nothing new, and happened every time it was Lance's turn to cook, but they might as well go down and see what had broken.

* * *

The next day was the start of finals at Bayville High, and Mystique had promised to let the Brotherhood choose that Summer's Holiday Destination if they all did well. With that motivation, even Blob had been found studying like mad, determined to do better than he had at his last school.

Rogue had just made it out of her Physics exam when she ran into Jean and Scott. Pushing aside her annoyance as they just walked past, Rogue focused on Mystique's memory that she had seen the previous night. Concentrating hard, she projected it toward the red-head.

As anticipated, the X-Men couldn't let something like that go by and instantly turned back to help Rogue with her dropped books. "Hey, are you all right? Jean said that she heard something bad from you."

Rogue brought up the knowledge that it had something to do with Kurt, and a feigned unwillingness to reveal it. "Ah'm part of the Brotherhood. Y'all are convinced that we're always up ta no good. Should Ah be suprahsed that Grey tells ya that she 'hears' something bad?"

Picking up her books, she swept off to her locker, intent on getting her lunch and Advanced Maths books for her next exam. The X-Men needed to work on their subtlety.

* * *

The day after that, Rogue spent lunch with Mystique, who quizzed her between bites of leftover Chinese. "In _Romeo and Juliet_, what was the Priest's main motive for agreeing to marry the young lovers without their father's consent?"

Rogue swallowed a forkful of fried rice. "He thought that a marriage between the Houses of Capulet and Montague would bring an end to the hatred that was tearing the city apart. Obviously the guy was living on a different planet than the rest of them."

Mystique laughed and shut the book just as the bell rang and Rogue left the office, nearly tripping over Professor Xavier just outside the door, where he seemed to be waiting for an appointment with Principal Darkholme.

Eavesdropping was wrong, but usually very informative. The secretary was on her break, and she had ten minutes to get to the Exam Hall, which was hardly that far away. Hopefully, Xavier wouldn't be listening for eavesdroppers. Crouching next to the keyhole, she listened intently. "You've been carrying a terrible burden for many years, Mystique. Some recent contact with you seems to have given Rogue some of your darker memories, nightmares about a very unfortunate incident involving an infant."

Mystique sounded understandably angry about the topic of discussion. "You're fishing for information. You know nothing."

Professor Xavier's tone was coaxing, prompting her to continue. "I know about your relationship with the boy, Mystique. What I don't know is what Magneto did to him. Why did you run that night?"

Mystique's tone made it very obvious that she didn't plan to willingly tell Xavier anything. "Dear, dear Charles. How incredibly frustrating it must be for you, to realize that amazing mind of yours really knows so very little."

There was a brief silence before Xavier spoke again. "What were the two of you up to in that castle? Was it worth the loss of your son?"

An agonized pause, and the sound of a book falling to the floor. Mystique's voice was full of barely contained fury as she shouted at the Professor. "Get out! Get out now!"

Rogue scrambled away from the door and bolted out of the office at the sound of Professor Xavier's wheelchair approaching, barely hearing his comment of Kurt turning out very well.

* * *

The final exam of the day was Social Science, and Rogue didn't have to be a telepath to sense Kurt's distracted mood. Obviously, someone had told him about Mystique's memory. Handing in her test, Rogue ran after him, hoping to talk about it. He could probably use a comforting ear. "Hey, Kurt, wait up! What's the rush?"

Her unknowing brother waited for her. "The Professor told me ve would try to look for more answers about the memory Jean saw after school! Vhy didn't you tell me about the memory, if you knew I vas in it?"

Rogue scowled. "Jean Grey needs to keep her mahnd to herself. Ah didn't know for sure if it was you, and would any of you X-Men have listened to me without thinking it was some kahnd of plot to get at y'all?"

Kurt looked faintly contrite. "Point taken. But I want to know more about where I came from. I knew I was adopted, but my parents were always vague about anything before that."

Rogue sighed. "But are you sure you really want to know? Sometahmes there are things we're better off not knowing."

Kurt was getting more and more animated as he talked. "Didn't you always wonder who your real parents were?"

Before she was adopted and until the day Mystique told her, yes, but Rogue could hardly say that out loud. "I guess at first, but Irene was always a good mom to me. Yeah, she could be real strict, and you can't get anything past a pre-cog, but…"

Kurt closed his locker and turned back to face her. "My adoptive parents were great too, but I always felt that they were keeping something from me. Whenever the subject of where I came from came up, they always changed the subject. They never said anything like your dream."

Rogue really hoped that Kurt would listen to Mystique when she told him about his true parentage. "Maybe they didn't know. Or maybe they were just trying to protect you."

Kurt frowned at that suggestion. "How? By hiding my own past from me? Maybe you can live without knowing, but I've got to know the truth about my life. I'm out of here."

Before Rogue could say or do anything else, Kurt pressed a button on his holowatch, changing from a normal German boy to the blue-furred mutant form that Rogue honestly preferred. Scott and Jean started to approach them, but Kurt _Bamf-_ed away before the two X-Men reached them. Not really wanting to deal with the two older teens at that point in time, Rogue headed out to the quad.

* * *

She hadn't been at the picnic tables more than a few minutes before Pietro zoomed up to her, followed by Lance. "Hey, Roguey, Mystique's acting kind of weird again. Did she seem off to you?"

Rogue sighed. She knew very well why Mystique was acting strangely, and that unlike last time, it had nothing to do with Mastermind. But how should she explain it to them? "Sit down and stop bouncing all over the place. What do ya mean by weird?"

Calming it the face of Rogue's glare, Pietro sat down on the bench while Lance snagged a chair from another table. "She gave me a letter and told me to drop it off in Nightcrawler's room at the X-Mansion. Usually she tells us to stay away from that place, and she didn't even blink when I asked how I was supposed to get past their security. Then when I asked why I needed to do this, she just said it was none of my concern. Doesn't that sound weird to you?"

Rogue sighed again. "Normally, yes, it would. This time is different, though. There are parts Ah can't tell ya because it isn't mah story to tell, but the basic part is that it has to do with events long before Mama formed the Brotherhood."

Lance raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't really explain why Boss-Lady is acting strange. After what happened last time, I think we need and deserve to know."

Rogue surrendered that point. "It's a long story. Repeat a word of this and Ah'll make ya regret the hour ya first saw daylahght." Both boys leaned back, obviously not caring how long the explanation was going to take. Rogue mentally sighed. It had been worth a shot. "Fahne. Mah brother and Ah were born somewhere in Europe, and Mama was revealed as a mutant shortly after. She went on the run with us, and took us to someone she thought she could trust while she led them away. She left us with Magneto, because she thought we'd be safe, but he sent me to an orphanage over here, and Ah don't know exactly what happened to mah brother. Mama found me a few years later, but she couldn't fahnd mah brother until less than a year ago. The letter has to do with that, and don't ask me to tell ya anything more."

Lance laid a hand on her arm. "I'm sorry, Rogue. We didn't know. Do you think we should do anything about it? I mean, if the X-Men find out?"

Rogue nodded. "We'll follow her tonahght, just in case, but don't do anything until Ah say so. Can ya tell Todd and Fred to be ready later, just in case?"

Lance nodded and left. Rogue waited a few moments, then fixed Pietro with a look. "OK, Pietro, out with it." Pietro gave her a questioning look that wouldn't have fooled a blind man. "Ah know something else is bothering ya. You've been looking strange ever since Ah mentioned having a sibling. Tell me."

Pietro's eyes remained firmly glued to the tabletop. "You know how I sometimes speak in plural, but it has nothing to do with the rest of you guys? Well you're not the only one with a sibling no one else knows about. Or who hasn't been able to find said sibling for years."

Rogue's eyes widened. "Oh mah god. What happened to them?"

Pietro finally looked up at her. "My twin sister, Wanda. Her powers developed really young, when we were about seven, but she couldn't control them. Eventually, Dad decided that he couldn't handle it any more, and instead of looking for someone to help her, he just sent her to a mental institute. He just stood there and watched while Wanda screamed for us not to leave her, and I didn't even move to help her."

Rogue moved around the table, placing a gentle arm over his shoulder. "Then what? Do you have any idea where it was?"

Pietro gave a small huff that could have been a sarcastic laugh. "No. It was night time, and there weren't any signs. I begged Dad to tell me where I could find Wanda, so she could come home. I even promised to behave and never talk again. I would have, too. But he didn't listen, and it was only a year or so later that he dumped me with the Maximoffs, and I barely saw him for years."

Rogue squeezed him slightly and stood up, offering Pietro her hand. She wanted her brother back, and she had only known him for a few months, how much worse must it have been for Pietro, to know what had happened to his twin, but be unable to find her? "Then as soon as we deal with mah brother's situation, we'll start looking for your sister. Deal?"

Pietro took her hand and stood up. "Deal. Ready to go home?"

The next thing Rogue knew, Pietro had swept her into his arms and taken off for the Boarding House. Rogue was very glad she didn't get motion sickness.

* * *

As night started to fall, Rogue and the rest of the Brotherhood quietly made their way to the construction site for a new mall in Bayville, where Mystique's letter had told Kurt to meet her.

Scanning the surrounding area for any signs of the X-Men, Rogue tried to ignore Todd's chattering from behind her. "It sounds like something out of Star Wars, yo. Like Mystique will be all, 'I am your father, Luke', and the X-Geeks will be all, 'No, that's impossible, Lightsaber battle!"

Fred finally tapped him upside the head. "Knock it off, Toad. This is serious. You see anything, Rogue?"

Rogue shook her head, hearing a tell-tale _bamf_. "No, but that doesn't mean they won't show up. Ah'm gonna get closer, just in case. If the X-Men show up, trah to hold them off quietly."

Silent as a shadow, Rogue slipped over to where Kurt was looking around. Mystique stepped out from behind a crane, hooded and cloaked. "Hello, Kurt."

Kurt spun around, looking as though he had just been struck by lightning. "You! You're the one from Rogue's dream! Who are you? Why don't you show yourself?"

Mystique reached up to push back her hood. "You already know me, son."

As much as Rogue hated to admit it, this little scene was turning out like something out of _The Empire Strikes Back_. Kurt looked horrified. "No! No, that's impossible!"

Mystique reached out to him, but Kurt backed away, his face angry. "What happened to me? Why didn't you tell me who I was?"

From outside the construction site, Rogue could hear the sounds of a typical X-Men/Brotherhood face-off. Thankfully, neither Kurt nor Mystique noticed, each fully intent on the other. "After I fell, and lost you in the river, I managed to track you down, and see the family that found you. Magneto was still after me, and I knew that you would have a good home with them, until it was safe again. I visited the circus whenever I could, to see how you were doing, but then the Wagner's left the circus, and I lost track of you until you showed up as a part of Xavier's X-Men."

Kurt's expression lost some of its anger, but replaced it with confusion. "But I've been in Bayville for almost a year, now. Why couldn't you tell me before? Why now?"

Mystique's face was truly regretful. "You were happy with the X-Men, but as far as you knew, I was the enemy. Would you have listened to anything I could say if Jean hadn't read Rogue's mind and discovered that memory?"

Kurt looked down. "I guess not. I – Hey!"

Intent on the conversation, Rogue hadn't noticed Cyclops get past the rest of the Brotherhood until his eye-beams hit her from behind, sending her flying to land between her mother and twin. Mystique was just as surprised to see her. "Rogue! What are you doing here?"

Rogue picked herself up off the ground. "Trahing to let you two have a proper talk about this. The Brotherhood is here because they were worried we were having a repeat of that Mastermind incident, and the other X-Men don't seem too keen on letting you chat."

The shouts of '_hey, put me down!'_ and _'just try it, Maximoff/ Daniels/ Alvers!'_ were coming closer, and Rogue was cut off as Cyclops hit her with a flying tackle. She rolled to her feet and kicked him in the face, but the damage was done. Mystique was hit by a piece of telekinetically flung equipment, and only missed being flattened by shape shifting into a raven and flying out of range.

The X-Men used the opportunity to grab Kurt and make their escape, leaving the Brotherhood to try and extract Blob from the cement mixer. Mystique flew back down and resumed her usual form as they tried to figure out how to break the cement that currently held Blob. Pietro tried punching it at super-speed, but danced away, nursing a bleeding hand. Rogue chipped away the outer areas with Cyclops's eye-beams as Lance shook the block of cement and Fred finally managed to bust himself loose.

Mystique stood still, not saying a word, as Rogue motioned for the Brotherhood boys to go ahead to the Boarding House. Rogue herself didn't say a word as she wrapped her arms around her mother from behind, and they both gazed after the retreating X-Jet.

* * *

The next morning, it took over an hour to coax Mystique out of her room and convince her that no, she couldn't call in sick during finals week. It had finally taken Rogue's reasoning that Kurt had at least listened to her last night, and might have some questions, to get her out of her room, and Blob still nearly had to physically carry her out to the car. After all of that, the Brotherhood barely made it to the Exam Hall in time for their first test of the day, and drew a frown for coming in so late.

Needless to say, it made for a very stressful morning.

Things did look up a bit during lunch, though. Rogue had gone to the Principal's office to check on Mystique, and had run into Kurt on the way up, both heading for the same destination. Just outside the office, Kurt paused and turned to Rogue. "Is it really true? Is Mystique my Muzzer?"

Rogue only nodded, opening the door to admit them both. Hearing the door open, Mystique turned from the window, where she had been watching a girl being dropped off for an afternoon exam. "Rogue, Kurt, come in. How are you after last night?"

Stressed, tired, and willing to murder certain X-Men. Rogue had the feeling that she wasn't the intended target of the question, however, and kept silent. Kurt looked faintly hesitant as he sat down, but eventually answered. "I'm not sure. But I have to know, are you really my Muzzer? Why did you drop me in the river? Did you ever want me? Why didn't anyone ever tell me all of this?"

Rogue was starting to feel distinctly like an intruder, but stayed in her seat as Mystique answered. "I wanted you more than anything. You were born in a very rural village near the border of Austria and Germany. You were born looking like you do now, but when I gave birth, the midwife couldn't keep her mouth shut, and it was barely a day before we had an angry mob breaking down the door. I ran to an old friend, who I thought would keep you safe while I led the mob away, but I returned to find that he was doing experiments on you. I took you and ran, but tripped when I was crossing a bridge, and you fell out of my arms into the water. Your parents had no idea about all of this, and I saw that you were happy with the X-Men. As much as I wished you were with us, I wanted what was best for you."

Mystique had shifted into her natural form while talking. Kurt bit his lip, then switched off his holo-watch, revealing the fuzzy blue form beneath. "There is something of a family resemblance, isn't there?"

Rogue laughed, and Mystique smiled. "Yes, I'm afraid you're father didn't contribute much in the looks department. What do you wish to do now? There is a place for you with us, but it is your decision, and I want you to be happy."

Kurt looked down. "I don't know you very well, and Professor Xavier is my legal guardian while I am in America. I will stay with the X-Men, but perhaps we can get to know each other again?"

Rogue ducked as Mystique practically leapt out of her chair to hug Kurt. "I would like that very much, and thank you for giving me this chance."

The bell rang, calling them back to the Exam Hall, and Rogue stood up. "Hey, the Brotherhood is going on a small trip over the summer. Maybe you could come with us then?"

Mystique and Kurt smiled at her for the suggestion. "I vill definitely ask. Vant a lift to the Hall?"

Rogue grinned and took her brother's hand as he teleported them away. Only two more weeks until Summer and new opportunities.

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_A/N: A new chapter is up! Hope I did all right with this episode, but don't hesitate to point out mistakes.  
I am finally on my Easter Break, which means more time for writing, but I am going away, so I don't know when the next update will be. Oh, well, I'm sure lots of reviews will carry me through Internet deprivation. **hint, hint  
**As always, constructive critisism is welcomed, flames are laughed at, and I'll do my best to answer any questions you might have, as long as you haven't asked them ten times already._

_Thanks, Nat_


	10. Chapter Nine, part I

_Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men: Evolution. Anyone who thinks otherwise is kidding themselves.  
__Summary: See Previous Chapters.  
__A/N: This chapter is shorter than usual, but I'm going away tomorrow for I'm not sure how long. (Surprise birthday gift) and I don't know when I'll have internet access. The next chapter should be up as regularly __scheduled._

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Chapter Nine

It was times like this, Rogue decided, that made you really wonder if having powers was worth it.

After having actually done well on their finals, the Brotherhood boys had ganged up on Rogue and out-voted her for a week-long holiday to Disneyworld. After a long discussion with Xavier (made even longer by the other X-Men shrieking and trying to talk him out of it) Kurt had received permission to accompany them for three days, before going back to the Institute, giving Rogue and Mystique an excellent opportunity for family bonding time.

As the only girl in a house of four teenaged boys, Rogue was no stranger to exuberance and localized chaos. Kurt, however, was taking it to a whole new level. "Come on, Rogue, it'll be fun! Please? You know you can't resist."

Kurt was intent on enjoying 'family time' to its fullest, and was currently trying to persuade her to join him and Mystique for a photo with some of the Disney Princesses. Mentally thanking every higher power she knew that the Brotherhood Boys were absent, Rogue folded her arms. "Ah can resist just fahne, fuzzball. You're asking me to pose with a princess, of all things!"

A glance at Mystique promised no help from that quarter, as the shapeshifter was looking very amused. Kurt refused to stop trying to charm Rogue into agreeing. "The heroine of a movie is only fitting for the strongest and prettiest girl in my life. Please? We can have another photo with anyone you like."

Curse that playful charm of his! Rogue was very tempted to make him stand next to Todd for a photo, but saw more Disney characters heading their way, and changed her mind. "All rahght, I'll take the photo with ya. But then Ah get to choose."

Rogue tried for a pleasant smile as Kurt practically bounced over to her, wrapping an arm around her waist as 'Princess Aurora' joined them. Obviously, the actress had seen this kind of protest before. Mystique didn't stop smiling in delight as she took the photo, enjoying every moment spent with her children.

The moment the photo was taken, Rogue pulled Kurt away from the princess and dragged him over to Maleficent, lips curving into an evil smirk to match that of the Sorceress. Kurt gave his unknown sister a reproachful look, but took it in good grace. Mystique actually laughed.

Maybe posing for silly photos wasn't so bad, after all.

* * *

Taking Kurt on the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' ride might have been a mistake.

Fighting scenes from the movie had been shown during the ride, the end result being Kurt using his flexibility to try and imitate some of the more fantastic moves and adjusting his holo-watch to give him a more 'pirate-like' appearance.

Rogue only hoped that Kurt's adoptive parents didn't have any form of steel weaponry at home, or this was really going to get out of control. The Munich Circus didn't have sword-swallowers, did it?

Suddenly swept off her feet and teleported to the crows-nest on the resort playground's pirate ship, Rogue shook her head. At least he couldn't re-enact something from the Haunted Mansion.

* * *

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, and today, the last day before they returned to Bayville, a rare moment of peace and quiet was interrupted when Pietro managed to get his hands on a double expresso and an unspecified but sugar-laden snack. It was now nearing dinner time, almost three hours later, and the silver-haired boy still hadn't stopped bouncing off the walls.

Giving up on the tactic of 'Ignore-Him-And-Maybe-He'll-Go-Away', Rogue threw down her book and stood up, glaring at all four boys as she fished out her wallet. "Rahght, that's it. Pietro, we're having authentic take-away for dinner. You know how to get to Mexico, yes?"

Pietro slowed down long enough to look confused. "Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?"

Rogue handed him the 'household expenses' credit card that the Brotherhood teens shared. "Ah want a pork enchilada, with no onions, and a bottle of sangrias to share. Go to Mexico City and bring back dinner. It'll get you out of our hair and with any luck you'll have calmed down by the time you get back."

To everyone's relief, by the time her returned with dinner, Pietro had calmed down from his sugar-induced adrenaline rush. Sadly, it didn't stop him from making one of his snappy remarks and asking if he got a tip. Rogue rolled her eyes and grabbed the enchilada, refusing to dignify that with a response.

Some things just weren't worth the effort.

* * *

Rogue had enjoyed the summer getaway, but still found a certain relief upon their return to Bayville. It was nice to be back in familiar surroundings, and had absolutely nothing to do with being stuck next to Pietro for six hours on the plane-ride back. Really.

Of course, the words 'peace', 'quiet' and 'Brotherhood Boarding House' were seldom found in the same sentence, and it was less than two days before trouble showed up again.

It was a relatively quiet day, considering that this _was_ the Brotherhood of Bayville Boarding House. Toad was out somewhere, Rogue suspected sampling the fruit-flies that a particularly annoying child on the next block was cultivating. Lance was patiently teaching Fred how to work on a car, bravely sacrificing his Jeep to the cause. Pietro was talking to his date-of-the-day, and Rogue was making a list of asylums in the country.

The annual dose of trouble was heralded by a very angry Mystique storming into the living room, cursing loudly and taking almost no notice of the four very surprised teenagers, Lance and Fred having just entered. "Er, Boss Lady? Is something the matter?"

Mystique started, as if she had only just noticed that they were there. "I found out what Magneto is up to. He's trying to 'winnow out' the best and strongest of the Mutant race and 'raise them to new heights', in his egotistical words. We will have to prove ourselves against the X-Men, and only the winners will be allowed into whatever nasty little scheme that metal-obsessed bastard is cooking up."

Rogue sighed and reached for her cell phone. "I'll get hold of Toad. The rest of you come up with something to get the X-Men away from the Mansion. There are way too many defenses in that place to have a hope of attacking them there."

The stripe-haired girl followed her mother out of the room, hearing the beginning of a brainstorm behind her.

* * *

Toad returned a bit over an hour later, sulking at the fact that he had taken a detour and consequently lost a fight with Jean Grey. That news prompted Rogue to start seriously questioning whether whatever Magneto had cooked up was worth the fuss of putting up with the red-head.

On the positive side, he brought back the news that Xavier, Wolverine and Cyclops had gone to Hawaii for some reason, Storm had ducked out but was due back soon, and the remaining three, Kitty, Evan and Kurt, were heading for the beach. Via a route that encompassed several potential ambush spots.

Changing into their fighting clothes, the Brotherhood teens left for the beach, while Mystique went to wait for Storm at the X-Mansion.

* * *

With the amount of wildlife in the surrounding grounds, there had been enough false alarms that the X-Mansion defenses now only registered Human/Mutant intruders, ignoring animals. This made it easy for Mystique to slip in as a cat and wait for Storm to return. The shapeshifter had just started to prowl around the front hall when her intended target returned, nearly tripping over her. "Hello. You're not quite the Kitty I was hoping to see. Can you tell me where everyone has gone?"

The weather witch continued past cat-Mystique and walked up the stairs, calling out to Wolverine. Mystique followed her up the stairs and into one of the many halls, morphing back into her normal blue form. Storm caught the sound of four paws changing into that of two feet and stopped in her tracks. "Well, look what the cat dragged in."

Mystique leapt at her with a flying kick, sending the X-Woman staggering against a wall. She tried to follow up with a punch, but was hit by a burst of lightning and thrown back down the stairs, rolling as she landed and leaping back to her feet. Storm dived at her in a tackle, but Mystique twisted, grasping the weather witch's arm and sending her smashing into one of the Mansion's many statues, pieces of marble flying everywhere. Mystique dodged several shards, sending a larger fragment back at Storm's head, and aimed another kick.

Storm narrowly dodged the chunk of marble, threw herself to the side to avoid the kick, and retaliated with a blast of hurricane-force wind that sent Mystique flying, clinging to the upper stair-rail in an attempt not to get blown into the next state. Letting herself be pushed down the hall, she recovered as Storm ran up the stairs. As soon as the white-haired X-Man came within range, Mystique vaulted toward her, tackling the other woman down to the doorway. Storm managed to throw her off, but Mystique landed on her feet, readying herself for another attack. "Give up and I'll make this quick, wind rider."

Briefly, the blue-skinned mutant wondered what was happening to the others, how they were faring against their opponents. Rage filled her at the thought of yet another of Magneto's twisted plans, as she remembered previous ones. The loss of Kurt, and years without Rogue! Constantly worrying about what had happened to her son! Mastermind toying with her head for a 'test' that nearly cost the woman her only daughter! "I shouldn't even have to prove myself; after all he put me through."

Mystique rushed her opponent again, but Storm flipped out of the way, landing in a crouch. "I don't know why you have chosen to attack me, and in truth, I don't much care." Storm raised her arms, raising a thick bank of fog around Mystique. "This is my home, and you are not welcome here!"

The fog was too thick to see more than a few inches around her, so Mystique did not see Storm running toward her until it was too late. Unable to dodge the other woman's punch, Mystique was thrown backwards as the fog dissipated. Her last thought was the hope that her Brotherhood was doing better than she had.

* * *

As it turned out, the Brotherhood was faring quite well.

Lying in ambush above a curving road along the side of a steep hill, it didn't take long for the X-Van to show up. Stifling her amusement at the sight of her fuzzy blue sibling in a Hawaii-themed shirt and board-shorts, Rogue signaled to Lance, who concentrated on the road in front of the X-Men.

A medium-sized tremor had the road breaking up, causing the X-Men to swerve in order to not crash. Lance, Pietro and Toad chased them in Lance's jeep, while Blob and Rogue waited at the bottom of the hill. The Brotherhood Jeep rear-ended the X-Van several times, and paid for it when two bone spears bounced off the hood and embedded themselves in the front headlights.

That did it. More tremors and a small rock-slide sent the X-Men off the main road and down a dirt path, where Blob braced himself for impact, leaving the X-Van with a caved-in hood as it ran into him. The larger mutant smirked as Lance's Jeep screeched to a halt behind them. "Come here often?"

The other Brotherhood boys leapt out of the Jeep, Rogue coming up behind them, as Blob lifted the X-Van and literally shook it, sending the X-Men tumbling onto the sand. Another quick earthquake from Avalanche buried them beneath the loose sand as the Brotherhood watched and waited. After a few seconds, Toad piped up. "Hey, man, that didn't take too long at all."

Rogue shot him an annoyed look. "It ain't over yet, Toad. They have a teleporter and whatever Shadowcat is, remember? They'll be coming back up any tahme now, so stay alert."

Toad deflated slightly just as Kurt Teleported nearby, hitting Lance with a flying tackle, and Shadowcat phased herself and Spyke up out of the sand. Rogue raised an eyebrow as she ran to pull her brother off of Lance. "Told ya so."

Quicksilver shot off after Spyke, while Blob took a running leap after Shadowcat, literally landing on top of her. In most cases, this would be the end of the fight, but Blob gained a decidedly ill look as Kitty phased through him, but came out very dazed and didn't get far before collapsing.

Pietro was faring somewhat better. Running circles around Spyke had the dual effect of kicking up a sandstorm and making the X-Man mad enough to lose focus. "I got you beat and you know it, Evan! I always speed to the top."

Meanwhile, Kurt and Rogue were engaged in a game of teleportation tag, _bamf_ing all over the beach and somehow managing to hold a conversation while doing so. "Vhat is going on, Rogue? I thought we were on a truce for ze summer."

Rogue aimed a kick at his face, designed to miss, and teleported to a rocky outcrop. "We are. There's a mutant called Magneto, don't know if Professor X told y'all about him, who has come up with some kahnd of Master Plan, and is setting mutants to fahght each other to decahde the best. We're fahghting y'all so we can get insahde and defuse whatever he's cooking up."

Kurt used his tail to trip her up. Rogue fell, cursing loudly, then used his surprise at her language to regain her feet. "Should one of us come along? If ze Professor knows Magneto, ve vill probably get involved whether ve like it or not."

Rogue threw a rock, pulling off a glove as Kurt dodged. "Only four of us will get to go. Mystique is fighting Storm, and she'll trah to drop enough hints to warn the Weather Witch. Ah ain't letting the boys up there alone, so beat us if ya can!"

Kurt teleported behind Rogue and sent her flying back down to the sand. Rogue rolled to her feet and drained Shadowcat, who had just regained consciousness and was staggering to her feet. Lance took the opportunity to smash the outcrop Kurt was standing on with a final tremor. Kurt didn't teleport in time, and landed beneath a pile of rocks, out cold but mostly unhurt.

Pietro had stopped taunting Evan and buried him up to his neck in the sand, but not before several of his bone spears had missed Pietro and had the sheer luck to pin Toad to a nearby boulder, with enough force to knock him out.

Rogue and Fred were on their way over to try and revive him when four metal orbs came flying over the ridge. The conscious members of the brotherhood exchanged glances, then walked to the orbs and climbed in. The X-Men would be waking up soon, and Toad could explain things to them.

Now all they had to do was find Magneto and pretend to accept whatever World-Domination-Scheme he had come up with. This was going to be a long day.

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A/N: OK, I've had several people ask if Kurt knows about his relationship with Rogue yet. To clarify that: No, Kurt is unaware that Rogue is his sister. The reason for this is that Rogue and Mystique want to give him time to accept his relation with Mystique first. Kurt will find out soon, probably along with the rest of the X-Men.  
Anyway, another chapter is up, despite it's shortness. Reviews are very welcome, and flames will be laughed at.

Thanks, Nat.


	11. Chapter Nine, Part II

_Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men: Evolution. Has this somehow failed to sink in yet?_

_Summary: See previous chapters._

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Chapter Ten

When Toad finally regained consciousness, he was alone, with the exception of the still out cold X-Men. Scowling, he set about freeing himself from the bone spikes and pondering what to do next. Sure, the winners of the Brotherhood needed to take whatever chances they had to find Magneto, but this was the second time he had been left behind. To make matters worse, he was the one who was going to have to deal with three angry X-Men. It just wasn't fair.

Spotting a few mosquitoes, Toad hopped over to a rock to sulk. Munching on his favorite comfort food, the amphibious mutant continued ranting to himself. "I don't get it. I'm strong, I'm agile and I've got this killer tongue. How could I be left behind twice?"

He aimed for another fly, just out of the corner of his vision, missed, and felt something grab hold of his tongue. The something turned out to be a 'someone', namely Kurt, who was looking very annoyed. Shadowcat and Spyke backed him up as Kurt refused to let go. "All right, spill it, Toad! Vhat just happened? Where did the others go?"

Todd wondered if Rogue would buy it if he punched Nightcrawler and blamed it on the earlier fight. Probably not. "Okay, okay! OW!" Kurt let him go and Toad fell down hard on the rock. "We don't owe that crummy Magneto nothing, anyway. Besides, Boss Lady doesn't have a jet."

Shadowcat blinked. "Who?"

Toad sighed, didn't Xavier tell his students _anything_? Rogue and Mystique at least made sure you knew what was going on. "Magneto. One major mega-mutant. He's screening out the best from the worse, and we lost. Guess what that makes us? Losers."

Kurt grabbed him, pulling the other mutant closer. "Rogue already told me that when we were fighting. What happens to the winners?"

If Nightcrawler got this worked up over Rogue now, Todd shuddered to think what he would be like when he discovered their actual relationship. "I don't know! All Boss Lady could find out was that they were being taken somewhere to form some kind of 'elite' group. Magneto was sending metal orbs to carry the winners, but none of us know the destination."

Spyke got ready to fire more spears, glaring at Toad. "How do we know we can trust him? He's one of the Brotherhood, and they're the ones who attacked us!"

Kurt appeared to be thinking hard. "Shut up, Evan. Okay, lets head back to the Institute and regroup. With any luck the Professor will have some way to track other mutants, without needing a telepath."

* * *

In Rogue's opinion, naming Magneto's base of operations 'Asteroid M' was decidedly egotistical. Then again, no one had asked her opinion, and since Rogue didn't feel like joining Storm and Jean in a stasis tube, she kept quiet and waited, seeing what she could find out.

Quiet observation yielded many very interesting results. First was the fact that Professor X, Wolverine and Cyclops had left for Hawaii upon discovering that Scott's younger brother Alex was alive. Rogue winced at the thought; Scott was bad enough, so she could only pray that Alex didn't have his brother's sense of rigidness.

Second, sadly for the X-Men, Magneto had found Alex first, and the Summers' family reunion ended up with Scott coming to Asteroid M of his own free will, much to Professor Xavier's dismay.

Third, Scott may have been there of his own free will, but he obviously knew very little of what was going on, and was only there for his brother's sake. If Alex turned against Magneto, Scott would be out of there in a second.

Fourth, Magneto was working on something to 'improve' mutants, although Rogue had yet to find out how he planned to manage that. Either way, it didn't sound good.

* * *

Back in Bayville, the X-Men plus Toad had just returned to the X-Mansion, which looked like it had been hit by a bomb. Looking around, Toad absently wondered who had caused what damage, and whether or not it was going to be incorporated into the Brotherhood's next training session. The X-Men didn't share this calm. "Whoa. What happened here?"

"Man. This place is trashed!"

Toad had seen the X-Mansion before, but couldn't resist a dig at the stunned X-Men. "Oh, man. You guys live like slobs."

He was ignored. Slightly disappointed at the lack of reaction, Toad scanned the room as Kitty called out for Storm. All four mutants were taken by surprise as Mystique vaulted down from a higher balcony. Landing gracefully, Mystique straightened up and smirked at the X-Men. "She's out. Can I take a message."

Toad knew that this was a perfect opening for calling Mystique on losing to Storm, but he had the feeling that it might not be such a good idea. Mystique was probably fuming over this fact already, which would mean dire consequences if he provoked her. Luckily, Kurt distracted her. "What are you here for, Mother?"

It was amazing how much a single word changed Mystique's angry stance. Her voice softened slightly as she explained for the X-Men's benefit. "Simple truth. Nobody discards me, and I won't let him harm my children! Especially not Magneto, after all I've suffered from him. So I'm paying him a visit. We can go together or I can go alone."

Thankfully, everyone was too focused on what Magneto was planning to notice her slip, or if they did, assumed that she referred to the Brotherhood. Either way, no one felt like crossing her. From her tone of voice, Mystique's "Visit" promised to be singularly unpleasant for Magneto. Further speculation was delayed by Wolverine's return. His clothing was tattered, and the other mutants suspected that his healing factor was the only reason Wolverine himself wasn't in a similar condition. "You won't be alone. If Magneto's got our friends, then we're going after him."

For a few moments, Mystique stared at him. "What on earth happened to you? Actually, never mind. I'm glad of the assistance, but I know the man, so I'll call the shots."

Wolverine brushed by her, causing the shapeshifter's mouth to tighten in annoyance. Men! Her irritation only worsened when Wolverine answered. "Then get your own ride. X-Men, lets go!"

Now was not a good time to lose her temper and kill Wolverine. They had bigger problems. Muttering darkly to herself, Mystique grabbed Toad and followed the X-Men.

* * *

If Rogue had to put up with five more minutes of standing around while Sabertooth glared at her (apparently he had not forgotten their last encounter and his defeat at her delicate but lethal hands), or one of the other minions Magneto had with him tried to chat her up, she was going to snap and kill somebody. Her irritated boredom was shattered by Magneto walking in, closely followed by the Summers Brothers. Magneto was talking, apparently explaining the machine that they had all noticed earlier. "I built it right into the asteroid. Behold! The next step in mutant evolution!"

Could Magneto do nothing without dramatics? Scott sounded as impressed as Rogue felt: very, very little. "What is it?"

Magneto failed to pick up on the distinct lack of awe, or if he did, he ignored it. "A genetic enhancer. Perhaps you've heard of the legendary gems of Cyttorak? Well, they do exist."

After the encounter with Juggernaught, and the revelation that he was not a 'natural' mutant, for lack of a better term, Mystique had thrown herself into researching how he had achieved such power. One Juggernaut was bad enough; they didn't want more people copying him. Mystique had found a reference to the Gems of Cyttorak, but very little further. Rogue was interested in what Magneto knew about them.

Apparently Magneto was very impressed by his newfound knowledge, certainly impressed enough for both himself and those who had no idea what he was talking about and wished he would get to the point. "Once believed to possess Mystical properties, they actually emit a very distinctive radiation."

The 'radiation' part seemed to get through to Alex Summers, drastically lessening his enthusiasm. "Hey, wait a minute! You mean you're going to nuke us?"

If that had been the plan, Rogue doubted that Magneto would have bothered to winnow out the stronger mutants, and certainly not those he still believed to be on his side. Still, it was very amusing to watch, especially Magneto's few seconds of shock before he recovered and continued to praise his own brilliance. "I'm going to evolve you to finish your growth! No more pain, Alex. No more hiding behind that visor, Scott. Your powers will be fully realized, giving you complete control!"

All things considered, this was a very tempting offer. Had she not made considerable progress with her own powers, Rogue might have been tempted. After absorbing Scott, Rogue knew that he longed for control, to see the world in colour again, rather than only shades of red. He wanted to see the blue sky, and the green grass. He wanted to see Jean Gray's hair as red because it was red, not because he could see no other colour.

Alex had told anyone who would stand still long enough to be caught and forced to listen about how his powers had developed, when Alex was on the verge of being eaten by a shark. Rogue had been subjected to a long speech on how the younger man had felt constant pain before his powers showed up, how they still hurt if he didn't use his powers frequently.

To Scott and Alex, Magneto's genetic enhancer would seem an ideal solution.

But nothing came without a price, and Rogue dreaded to think of what Magneto would extract as payment. Thankfully, Scott held onto his iron will long enough to ask Magneto about the other X-Men. "What about them? I want them released."

Magneto held out his hands in a pacifying gesture, which only amplified Rogue's concern. "They will be, but only after you've gone through the transformation. I want them to see what I'm offering."

That did not sound good. It wasn't phrased as a threat, but the knowledge that the X-Men's release hinged on Scott's acceptance, coupled with the blatant temptation of earlier, made it almost impossible to refuse, despite Magneto's insistence that they did have a choice in the matter.

Again, Scott's stubbornness and skepticism prevailed. "We're just supposed to trust that this thing works? You go through it, then."

Rogue's hope (and personal fantasy) of the enhancer backfiring and harming Magneto severely was dashed at Magneto's reply. "I already have, Scott. I'm fully advanced. But why don't I provide you with a real first-hand demonstration? Sabertooth."

The feral mutant growled and walked into the machine, now glowing with a blue light. The door closed behind him, and Rogue felt Pietro's hand slip into her own as they listened to the strange sounds from the enhancing machine. Trying not to give in to her own fear, (Rogue had not forgotten her mother's memory of Magneto's experimentation on Kurt, and she wasn't on Sabertooth's list of favorite people) the Brotherhood girl griped Pietro's hand tightly as the huge metal door closed behind Sabertooth.

She really wished that the re-enforcements would hurry up and arrive.

* * *

While the drama in the asteroid was taking place, the remaining and temporarily allied X-Men and Brotherhood were on their way as fast as possible.

Knowing that this mission was also the test flight for their helicopter/jet hybrid was not reassuring, but it hadn't fallen apart yet. Wolverine seemed completely unconcerned, however. "Oh, yeah, this thing cooks!"

It was all right for _him_, Mystique thought viciously. _Wolverine_ stood a fair chance of walking away if this thing crashed, but the rest of them had every reason to be concerned. The X-Men certainly never showed a tendency for self-preservation when rushing into things, after all. However, she had to remain focused.

Toad did not have her experience in these sorts of situations, and was clinging to his seat restraints, eyes wide. "You hear that metal straining? We're breaking up, I know it!"

Mystique was not the most diplomatic of people, but with Toad's concerns mirroring her own, she chose not to turn around and demand that he stop being ridiculous. Wolverine's reply did not help to settle her nerves. "Can't be. This crate's built without an ounce of metal."

Toad had closed his eyes, but now they snapped open again in horror. Behind him, the younger X-Men looked just as worried. "None? Then we're flying in what, cheap plastic? I need an airsick bag."

Looking faintly pale herself, Shadowcat wordlessly passed him the requested item. Mystique glared at Wolverine, but firmly reminded herself that they were flying into a battle situation, and she could not afford to be distracted. "I've got something huge on the scanners. Asteroid M. 463 miles and closing."

The _Velocity_ sped through the air, and the Asteroid finally came into visual range.

* * *

Everyone watched with a mix of anticipation and dread as the enhancer's second door opened. The machine may have enhanced Sabertooth, but it had also drastically changed him. His body was now covered with fur, his teeth even longer than before. He had become even larger, and bulkier. Rogue winced as Sabertooth threw out his arms and roared. Magneto only smiled and looked back at Scott and Alex. "Boys, it's time to reach you're full potential."

There was a slight uncertainty in Alex's voice as he looked at his older brother. "What do you think, Scott? I want to, but not without you."

Scott looked at the enhancer for a moment, then back down at his brother, who was looking at him with uncertain, but hopeful eyes. Having seen the same expression on both Kurt and Mystique as they muddled through the first week or so after discovering their family connection, Rogue wasn't surprised when Scott placed an arm around his brother's shoulder and the two of them walked toward Magneto's enhancer.

For once, Magneto was true to his word. Behind the watching mutants, the X-Men regained consciousness. Jean instantly started banging on the walls of her prison, trying to call out. Professor Xavier raised a hand to his temple, obviously sending a frantic telepathic message. But regardless of whether or not Scott received it, the young X-Man could do nothing as the door slammed behind him.

Unlike Sabertooth, everyone could hear the cries of pain as Scott and Alex underwent the transformation. Again, they could only watch in horror as they waited to see the final results.

The two young men that walked out of Magneto's enhancement machine bore very little resemblance to the Scott and Alex Summers who had walked in.

They had become bulkier, their hair turned as white as Quicksilver or Magneto, and their faces a perfectly blank mask. Rogue, who had harbored a bad feeling about this from the start, now felt alarm bells and sirens start to blare a warning in her head. She was proven justified when Magneto smiled. "Now, see what awaits you!"

Alex, or the one that Rogue guessed was Alex, going by the difference in height and skin tone, lifted a hand and flexed it. "The pain is gone!"

Magneto walked forward, and Rogue felt Pietro stiffen beside her, seeing the approval Magneto had never given him so freely bestowed on another. Behind them both, Rogue felt, more than saw, Lance place a supporting hand on Pietro's shoulder as Magneto smiled. "You shall be called Havok. Now go on, Scott. Show us the colour of your eyes."

From Scott's memories, Rogue knew that his eyes were once a bright green. Now, however, they were brown; cold, hard, and emotionless. Cyclops looked around the room, but he showed none of the delight that should have been raging through him. Magneto explained. "Another benefit to your enhancement. Your minds, they are purged of useless emotion. You should have a clearer perspective of our dominant roles here on earth."

For Rogue, at least, this seemed like a fate worse than death, and sealed her determination to refuse any offer Magneto made. Scott might be annoying, and far too righteous for his own good, but the sight of this completely emotionless state scared the living daylights out of her.

No, she would not go into that machine, even if it meant that she would never fully control her powers. With Agatha's help, any control she achieved would be of Rogue's own hard work. From the look of her slightly more expressive team-mates; they were in complete agreement.

The silence was broken by a sudden alarm. Sabertooth looked at the flashing red light and shouted, "Aircraft!"

The machine may have enhanced Sabertooth's mutation, but it obviously hadn't done anything for his mental state. Before, Sabertooth hadn't wasted time stating the obvious, and tended to form sentences of more than one word. Magneto seemed less than concerned, almost disinterested. "Really? Then let's see who it is."

A gesture and the roof opened to show the sky, and, more importantly, the approaching aircraft. Given the lack of identification markings, it was safe to assume that it belonged to the X-Men. Magneto held out his arm, trying to use his powers and crash the aircraft. It didn't work, and Magneto sounded annoyed as he whispered, "No metal." He glared at Xavier, who lifted his hands, looking decidedly smug. Magneto turned back to the others, raising his voice. "Boys! Protect us!"

Rogue was not in a position to see exactly what the two boys did, but she had a very clear view of them running back into the room, closely followed by an out-of-control aircraft. A few seconds after that, the fun really started. Shadowcat and Spyke phased out of the jet, followed by Kurt teleporting next to them. The hatch burs open, Toad and Wolverine jumping out. Mystique followed more slowly, shooting Magneto an evil look. "Knock, knock."

Magneto looked understandably furious. "Mystique! You never could take 'no' for an answer!"

Mystique did not bother to dignify that with a reply, but vaulted out of the jet, launching herself at him. Magneto responded by sending several metal bars spinning toward her at high speeds, forcing her to dodge. Finally noticing that Scott and Alex were buried under two feet of rubble, Magneto yelled for the Brotherhood and his other minions to attack the X-Men. Rogue had absolutely no intention of doing any such thing, and replied with a smirk and a perfectly calm, "Go shove it up your ass, Buckethead."

Yes, it was petty, and immature, and the name was probably very old, but she just couldn't resist. Besides, it caused Magneto to lose his concentration long enough for Mystique to land a kick in his gut. The shapeshifter followed with another kick to the face, but missed when a large piece of metal equipment sent her flying into the open door of Magneto's enhancer. For what seemed like an eternity, Rogue froze in place as there was a burst of light from the enhancer and Magneto flew in after her mother. Thankfully, Rogue snapped back to herself in time to dodge the blast of water that one of Magneto's minions, Naiad, flung at her. Luckily, Naiad was terrified of spiders, so a quick tap into Mystique's powers and shapeshifting into a large tarantula had the other mutant backing away quickly, too distracted to notice Spyke come up from behind and smash her into the wall.

Nearby, Pietro was running circles around another of Magneto's henchmen. Songweaver's power was as his codename implied: using song lyrics to get results. Rogue hated the Spice girls purely on principle, but 'Stop Right Now' was even more annoying when it managed to freeze Pietro in place. Before the musically inclined mutant could come up with anything else, however, he was hit by a face-full of Toad's slime, preventing so much as a hum and giving Toad the opportunity to knock him out.

Kitty and Blob were being tag-teamed by a pair of twin girls, Flora and Fauna, who could turn into any native Australian plant or animal. (Rogue had dubbed them the 'Nature Twins'. Fauna had turned into a Tasmanian Devil and threatend to bite her.) Considering that a Wombat could walk away the victor from an encounter with a moving car, even Blob had trouble when a patch of spinifex grass suddenly turns into a eucalyptus tree and back, dropping said wombat on Blob's head. Kitty couldn't stay phased forever, and re-solidified just in time to get kicked by a red kangaroo and sent flying into the tangled branches of a banksia tree. Fortunately for the two, Kurt managed to teleport the twins outside, where they apparently decided that getting out of sub-zero temperatures was more important than returning to the fight.

Meanwhile, Lance was facing off against another earth-powered mutant. Known as Kai, a shortened version of his actual name, which the Nature Twins had given up trying to pronounce, Lance's opponent ripped chunks of rock from the walls and floor, throwing them at the Brotherhood boy, who retaliated by causing an earthquake beneath Kai's feet, knocking him down. An unfortunate side effect of this was that the asteroid quickly began to break up.

Seeing a distinct lack of Magneto, his remaining minions (Rogue wasn't sure what had happened to Sabertooth) decided to cut their losses. Making a dash for the balcony, a few lines from 'Defying Gravity' (_Wicked: the musical,_ end of Act I) had them floating down to join the twins, all five beating a hasty retreat as the X-Men and Brotherhood went for the Blackbird.

Running toward the main hanger, Rogue spared a glance behind her, just in time to see a burst of red energy blast through the rocks where Jean and Professor Xavier were trying to dig out Cyclops and Havok. Dodging a falling rock, Rogue sped up. The two X-Men could handle themselves.

* * *

Apart from Mystique, Scott and Alex, everyone had boarded the X-Jet. Rogue clung to the back of Nightcrawler's seat as Wolverine started the Jet, exchanging looks of worry over what might have happened to Mystique. The jet was about to take off when Scott and Alex came running out after them. Just as the reached the X-Jet, unfortunately, the piece of asteroid it was waiting on broke away.

Off balence and out of control, the X-Jet plummeted toward the ground. Closing her eyes in terror, Rogue could hear Kurt reciting the Lord's prayer, and mentally joined him as the hard earth loomed closer. Despite the horrifying plunge that had everyone, Brotherhood and X-Men, clinging onto each other, the X-Jet landed safely. As everyone else got their bearings back, Rogue sent Spyke a hard look. "Daniels, what is your hand doing on my chest?"

Spyke's look of alarm was almost as amusing as the fact that five of the eight males present jumped to pull the unfortunate X-Man off of her.

Meanwhile Professor Xavier was talking to Scott and Alex. Staring at the ruins of what had once been Asteroid M; Rogue was too preoccupied to listen. Nearby, Toad did not sound cheerful. "Wonder what's going to happen to us now, yo."

Pushing aside her worry, Rogue took a deep breath and gulped back the tears that threatened to fall. "Ah'm still around, and so is Aunt Irene. We'll manage, somehow, and Ah promise Ah won't let you down."

Lance placed a hand on her shoulder. "Two orbs made it out of that thing before it exploded. Mystique will be back. Count on it."

Rogue sniffled and looked over at the X-Men, who were having yet another round of gushy speeches. "I don't want to impose, but do you think you could give us a lift home?"

Before Professor Xavier or one of the adults could reply, Shadowcat ran over, hugging Lance. "Like, sure! I mean, you helped us, so we totally owe you a ride!"

Closing her eyes, Rogue only hoped that none of the others made any of the crude remarks Kitty had opened herself to. Just to be safe, she stomped on Pietro's foot. The white-haired boy closed his mouth and gave her an injured look. Unusually subdued, Kurt came up and took her hand. "Mother will be back, but I think I'll be grounded for life if she hears we left you to freeze in the artic."

Rogue managed a smile at that. "Good thinking, fuzzy. Let's go."

It was very interesting that Kitty and Lance spent the trip back to Bayville holding hands.

_x_

_x_

_x_

_x_

_

* * *

_

A/N:

_I know that there are no extra characters on Asteroid M, but I needed to even the odds somehow. Enhanced or not, Sabertooth alone isn't going to be able to hold everyone off by himself. _

_Anyway, sorry for the longer-than-usual wait, but Chapter Ten is up, and Season One is complete! I still haven't decided if I will keep going with this story, or start a new one for Season Two, so suggestions are welcome, as are reviews. Thanks to everyone who has already reviewed, and I have already started on Season Two.  
__Wish me luck!  
__Nat_


	12. Chapter Ten

_Disclaimer: As usual._

_Summary: The same._

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

Rogue was not looking forward to the coming term. After the incident with Asteroid M, Mystique was visiting Destiny until her powers were back under control. This meant that they had a new principal, who by all spying reports was even more straight-laced than Cyclops.

Not only that, but Lance and Pietro were both going through mutation growth spurts. Lance could still control and generate tremors, but during periods of heightened emotion, earthquakes of varying degrees would pop out with no warning. Pietro was much the same, but his emotional state had no affect on when he took what was supposed to be a single step at normal speed, and ended up two miles away. So far there had been no witnesses, but with Fall Term starting, Rogue knew that their luck would eventually run out.

Also, the X-Men had gained several new recruits. This meant that the X-Men would be gaining in strength and efficiency, although careful observation had pointed out a few good points.

One of the Newbies, a blonde girl by the name of Tabitha Smith, obviously enjoyed causing chaos, and was clearly chafing under the rules of Xavier's Institute. If Rogue was tempted to strangle the girl just by watching from a distance, One could only place bets on how long it would be before the X-Men snapped.

Then there was the blond boy with a Southern accent, Sam Guthrie, who had taken one look at Rogue and promptly walked into a wall. Rogue had found this not nearly as amusing as the others in the Brotherhood did, so they tried not to laugh about it.

There were a few good points, though. A lot of practice had rewarded Rogue with the ability to hold and use more than one absorbed power at a time, although only for a few minutes. The most frequent combination was Fred's strength and Pietro's speed, when doing a rush job of patching up the Boarding House after a power surge. Mystique's break from the Brotherhood gave her and Destiny a chance to start looking for the Institute that held Wanda, and the truce on Asteroid M had lasted longer than anyone had expected, with only the occasional barrage of insults in almost a month. Scott and Jean still refused to see the Brotherhood as anything more than delinquents, and Spyke had yet to get past his rivalry with Pietro, but Kurt and Kitty were actually visiting and hanging out on occasion.

Todd and Kurt still had a rivalry going, but they had mostly sorted that out over the Summer Break, and it was now more a semi-friendly competition. Regular visits to Mystique and Destiny had Rogue and Kurt growing closer than ever, and Rogue had started to plan the best way to reveal her true relationship with Mystique and Kurt. She just needed the opportunity.

Kitty and Lance were now an official couple, despite the frequent teasing from the Brotherhood and loud protests from the X-Men. Rogue was of two minds about this development. On the one hand, she was happy for Lance, and the relationship seemed to be doing him good. On the other hand, Kitty had apparently decided that Rogue needed a female friend to talk to, and volunteered herself for the job. Rogue appreciated the thought, and liked Kitty well enough, but the girl's perky attitude scared her, and the two girls tended to have conflicting interests.

Well, the two of them were off watching the Bayville High first-week-back soccer match/tryout, Kitty to support Jean Grey, Lance to spend time with Kitty and be amused at Cyclops and Jean's constant denial of attraction, and Rogue had the house to herself for five more minutes until Pietro got back from wherever he had sped of to this time.

* * *

As it turned out, Rogue only had two minutes before Pietro zoomed back into the kitchen, where Rogue was fixing herself a snack, grinning from ear to ear. "Roguey, you'll love this. Turn on the news, quick! Come on, come on, come on!"

Not giving her a chance to respond, Pietro scooped her up and ran into the living room, dropping her on the couch and kicking up a small tornado as he searched for the remote. Wondering what had the Speed Demon so worked up; Rogue picked the remote up from a side table and turned on the TV, flipping to the news channel just in time to see a report on a 'Miracle Rescue'. Turning up the volume, Rogue grabbed Pietro and yanked him down next to her as she listened.

It only took a few moments before Rogue wore a gleeful smirk to match Pietro's grin. She wondered how the X-Men were going to explain this one away. _"Eye witness reports are conflicting, but all agree that the falling car was deflected by this strange red flash. It's source is still a mystery."_

A mystery to the media and general public, perhaps, but the Brotherhood had seen and occasionally been on the receiving end of the red flash in question often enough to recognize it. Cyclops had been using his powers in public. Rogue sighed happily and leaned back against the couch. "Remahnd me to call Kurt later. Ah have got to know the story behahnd this!"

Further conversation was cut off as the front door opened to admit Blob and Toad, closely followed by Lance. Pietro instantly ran over to tell them about the incident, suffered a power surge, and added yet another dent to the walls. Fred sighed and moved over to carefully extract the silver-haired boy from the wall as Todd snickered. Lance opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off as his cell phone rang. That meant that the call was from either Mystique or Kitty, neither of which was a conversation for eavesdroppers. "Hello? Hey, Pretty Kitty, what's up...? Whoa, whoa, slow down...tell me what…"

The conversation was cut off by the sound of Lance's bedroom door closing, and Rogue headed for the house phone. Nothing stayed secret for long at the X-Mansion, and Kurt had a very amusing way of telling stories. Rogue was going to love hearing about this.

* * *

Kurt had been in hiding from Wolverine's lecture and from the X-Men's New Recruits, so Rogue did not have the chance to talk to him until the next day in school. Bayville High was holding a special assembly to welcome a new principal, Mr. Kelly, and almost everyone looked ready to make a break for it. Leaving Pietro, Fred and Todd sulking against a wall and ignoring Lance flirting with Kitty, Rogue found her brother and sat down next to him. "Hey, Kurt."

Kurt had started to go glassy-eyed from boredom, but quickly looked up at her. "Hey, Rogue. How are you this very fine school morning?"

Rogue didn't know who Kurt thought he was fooling with the overly-cheerful-and-charming attitude, but it didn't work on her. "Ah'm good. Can't wait until the Powers Growth Spurts wear off, but Ah'm fahne. So, Ah hear that certain X-Men decided to show off yesterday."

Kurt winced. "You heard about that, _ja_? It's not like ve planned for the car to fall off ze bridge, and-"

He stopped at the sight of Rogue's broad grin, falling against the seats behind them in a dramatic fainting pose. "Not fair teasing about that, Rogue! Ve already had to sit through a lecture and got sentenced to extra Danger Room sessions!"

Rogue snickered, ignoring Principal Kelly as he stood to make his welcoming speech. Or rather, tried to make his speech, as the new Principal was walking to the podium when a faint tremor knocked him flat on his backside. Looking toward the probable cause, Rogue sighed as she saw Kitty giggling as Lance grinned and un-balled his fist. Glaring at her remaining three team-mates, who weren't even trying to hide their amusement, Rogue turned back just in time to see the panicked look on Avalanche's face as a stronger tremor shook the gym, and the huge scoreboard that hung from the roof started to break loose.

Rogue cursed loudly, earning a shocked look from her brother, and desperately tried to think of anything to stop their new Principal from being squished flatter than a pancake. Luckily, Jean Grey was ahead of her, and managed to telekinetically deflect the scoreboard away so that it missed hitting anyone. Rogue relaxed as the principal stood up, and then smirked as Kelly accidentally spoke into the microphone as he asked "Since when is Bayville on a fault line?"

There was a ripple of laughter from the students, and Principal Kelly looked momentarily chagrined at his mistake, but quickly recovered. "Anyway, I want to welcome you all to a new semester, a new year at Bayville High. I know that filling the vacuum left by your previous principal, Ms Darkholme, will not be an easy job, but it's a challenge to which I am looking forward."

Considering that Principal Kelly was a Human, and had already embarrassed himself within the first minute of Office, Rogue was also looking forward to the 'challenge' Principal Kelly faced. Eyes narrowing in thought, Rogue wondered how far she could go in making his life difficult without getting caught. Rude and/or mocking graffiti could be blamed on the school punks, and… She was jerked out of plotting by Kurt's elbow, and returned her attention to Principal Kelly, who was still talking. "And this leads me to what I hope will become the theme of the coming semester: Meeting new challenges. Most of us go through life thinking that we're not so different from the people around us. That's a mistake, because I believe that every one of us has some unique talents. Some special gift. Something that makes each of us stand out from the crowd. However, that said, I want your second priority to be supporting our girl's soccer team for the championship!"

Rolling her eyes as the speech descended into a 'Go-Team-and-School-Spirit!' rant, Rogue exchanged a very amused look with her brother. Rogue had the 'unique talent' of being able to drain people's life force and copy their abilities. Without his holowatch, Kurt couldn't 'stand out from the crowd' more if he tried! A glance over at the rest of the Brotherhood showed Pietro, Fred and Todd trying desperately not to laugh, while Lance was grinning broadly as Kitty clapped both hands over her mouth in an attempt to stifle her giggles. Leaning back and ignoring the cheers around her, Rogue settled down for the rest of the assembly.

* * *

Rogue's first class after she escaped the assembly was Home Economics, which she unfortunately shared with Kitty. Aside from the girl's constant chatter, Kitty could probably manage to burn a salad. Rogue put her in charge of reading the instructions and collecting the ingredients from the main table, then tried to keep her away from everything that involved more than one step to prepare. The downside of this was that, with little else to do, Kitty was free to interrogate Rogue. "So, like, how did you get so good at cooking, Rogue? You just don't, like, seem the type."

Rogue looked up from where she was measuring yeast and flour for the pizza dough. "Grate the cheese, would ya? Ah live with four boys, whose cooking skills extend ta picking up the phone and ordering take out. Besahdes, Ah used to watch Mama cook, and she fahnally let me help so Ah could learn to cook for mahself when she was away on business. Destiny can see the future, but it doesn't make her a cook."

Kitty giggled, obviously painting a mental picture of a much younger Rogue hovering over a kitchen bench as a faceless parent tried to teach her how to cook. Kitty examined the grater, which had large and smaller holes for large or fine grating. "Which side do I use?" The X-Girl lowered her voice. "Do you know how long Power Maturation usually lasts? Lance is starting to worry that it'll never stop and something really bad will happen."

Rogue wrapped the pizza dough in clingwrap and put it aside. "Medium to small grating holes, otherwahse the cheese will clump together. Maturation lasts depending on the Mutant in question, so it ain't very predictable. Mutants can take years to fully mature, or just a few days. Lance and Pietro's powers will calm down, hopefully before the Boarding House suffers too much structural damage, but no one knows when. If it goes on much longer, Ah'll call Destiny and ask her for the most likely probability."

Kitty nodded and finished the cheese, putting it in a small bowl before she started to help Rogue clean up the dough bowl and mixing utensils. "You should see the new recruits. I heard Mister Logan telling the Professor that we needed a tank to keep them under control, especially if we wanted to keep the mansion in one piece!"

Rogue raised an eyebrow and directed Kitty to start slicing olives for the topping as she pulled a stick of salami toward her own mini-chopping-board. "It works better if y'all can threaten them with something worse than that Danger Room of yours. Pietro hates moving slowly, so he'll do about anything if Ah threaten to drain his powers so he can't do more than shuffle for an hour."

Kitty laughed again, prompting the cheerleader the next table over to pout at them and complain that Home Ec. was hard enough without having to listen to Kitty talking to 'that Goth freak'. Kitty looked annoyed. Rogue calmly ignored the girl and switched the cheerleader's bowl of peppers with their own anchovies, smirking at the piercing shriek as the cheerleader picked up a slimy dead fish. "Another way of avoiding trouble is proving that you will do worse in retaliation if those Newbies of yours trah anything."

* * *

Things went well enough for the rest of the day (this _was_ High School, after all), but went into a steep decline when the final bell rang. Normally, Pietro and Rogue would run home, but until his powers settled down again, they were taking no chances, meaning they all met up at Lance's Jeep, and the boys rode while Rogue enjoyed a few minutes of quiet time walking home. Right then, four of the Brotherhood were waiting with varying degrees of patience as Lance talked with Kitty, reassuring her about the Assembly Incident before driving them home. "So, like, are you sure you're OK?"

Lance gave the X-Girl a slight smile. Rogue restrained herself from telling him to shut up and hurry up. "I'll be fine, Pretty Kitty. Kelly thinks it was just a quick quake, so we're safe there. Anyway, um, do you want to meet for ice cream after the game tonight?"

Kitty smiled back, but was stopped from replying when Cyclops showed up. "Leave her alone, Alvers!"

Rogue rolled her eyes and got ready for yet another confrontation. People were starting to pay attention, so she took up position between them and the confrontation, glaring at anyone who got too close. "Hey, why don't you go recharge your batteries, goggle boy? This is between me and Kitty!"

Scott's face twisted into a glare, one hand going to his glasses as he grabbed Lance's jacket. Rogue decided that he was probably suffering from lack of Jean Grey, who was riding home with Duncan that afternoon. "Oh, yeah? Well now it's between you and me."

Lance pushed the X-Men leader away, taking a step backward toward his team, who were ready to back him up. "Go ahead, Summers, take your best shot. Let's see those eyes of yours blast me through the fence, if you're not too scared of getting scolded by your Professor."

Red energy began to glow behind the ruby quartz glasses as Cyclops braced himself in a fighting stance. He looked ready to lose the glasses right there, but Kitty interjected, indicating the growing crowd. "Scott, don't let him bait you! We don't need to have everyone see you, and Lance didn't start the fight."

Cyclops backed down, though he was still obviously less than happy. "Come on, Kitty."

Kitty rolled her eyes, but followed him, giving Lance a peck on the cheek as she left. Rogue needed to go visit Mystique and Destiny for a weekly update, so she started off as well, tapping into Pietro's speed and leaving her team mates to themselves. Given the events of that morning, she hoped that nothing would happen between school and the Boarding House.

* * *

Rogue had just stepped through the front door of the Boarding House when she realized that she had forgotten to ask Destiny about how long before Lance and Pietro finished their Power Maturations. Shrugging to herself, she decided that it was nothing that couldn't wait until the weekend, when she would visit again with Kurt, if he wasn't still grounded.

Dodging around Pietro, who was talking to his date-of-the-day (why did he always have to date shrill air-heads, anyway?), Rogue headed upstairs to start on her homework before they had to leave for the semi-mandatory-attendance at the Soccer Rally. As far as she was concerned, being forcefully persuaded to attend was completely unfair.

At least in mandatory assemblies you got out of class and no one cared or noticed if you slept through it!

* * *

Despite the cheers around her, Rogue was bored out of her mind as she sat with the rest of the Brotherhood, reciting the multiplication tables in her head in an attempt to keep awake. Maybe the news teams and cameras would catch a shot of her and insist that the students were allowed to go home and do something productive.

If the soccer team made it to the championship, _then_ Rogue would care about their names and positions. Until that time, what higher power had she offended lately, that the School Authorities were putting her through all of this? It was nothing less than cruel and unusual torture!

Her attention was momentarily caught when Principal Kelly stood up, microphone in hand. Now, what could she mock about his speech this time? Luckily, Kelly wasn't a telepath, though perhaps that could have made his speeches shorter. "In appreciation of the team spirit that has brought us all to tonight's Championship, we'd like to present our school mascot, the Bayville Hawk!"

A sheet at the top of the stands fell away to reveal a huge bronze statue of a hawk in flight. Rogue lifted an eyebrow as fireworks exploded in the night sky, provoking even more mindless cheering. She turned her mind to all of the painful things she could legally get away with doing to Principle Kelly, inside of school and out, as he lifted the microphone again. "Now, let the game begin!"

Rogue sat back and tried to find her center, as Agatha had taught her while she had been learning to meditate. An old willow on the banks of the Mississippi, cool water splashing against the riverbanks… She was distracted as Pietro poked her in the ribs to get her attention. "Hey, Rogue, I'm going to get a soda from the snack bar. Want me to get you anything?"

Having missed dinner to get here in time, Rogue nodded in thanks. "Get me a sausage roll and a coke, please. Ah'll pay ya back later."

Pietro nodded, but hadn't made it two steps before a power surge kicked in, sending him onto the field, while his attempts to stop only slowed him down enough for everyone to realize that it was a person at abnormal speeds, rather than a sudden gust of strong wind. With everyone looking around to where the Brotherhood was sitting, the logical conclusion of where Pietro had come from, Todd chose the worst possible moment to snatch at a fly. Rogue paled, exchanging worried looks with Lance as everyone started to point and whisper. Not even the soccer teams were paying attention to the game any more. "Man, we're busted big tahme!"

Across the oval, the X-Men, students and instructors alike, were glaring at them, getting to their feet. Out of the corner of her eye, Rogue saw the news cameras turn from the game to where Pietro was still zooming around the stadium, trying to avoid crashing into anyone. One of the Newbie X-Men, Cannonball, started to head down to stop him, but was tripped by one of the Jocks, activating his powers and sending him plowing into the lawn. A random person who Rogue didn't recognize shouted, "Look, these guys are freaks, too!"

Another Newbie, Tabitha 'Trouble-On-Two-Legs' Smith, took offense at this claim, and threw a mini-bomb at the speaker. "Hey, who are you calling 'freaks', loud mouth? Look at the Brotherhood! At least we don't cause earthquakes or eat insects!"

In a less chaotic setting, Rogue would have made a sarcastic comment about how several insects were considered delicacies, but Tabitha obviously wasn't cultured enough to know about that. As it was, someone pushed Lance from behind, as if he was a zoo exhibit, and poking would get a reaction. The unexpected shove sent Lance tumbling down onto the next row, throwing out his hands to break the fall, and triggering an earthquake that tore up the field. People started running and screaming all over the stadium and someone knocked Scott's glasses off, sending an eyebeam into the tower that held up the new Bayville Hawk.

Whatever higher powers obviously hated her, it seemed that someone up there was taking pity on them, as Fred returned from the Bathroom just in time to catch it and stop any of the spectators from being flattened. Well, the cat was out of the bag, and all they could do was try to mitigate the damage. Rogue vaulted out of her seat and down onto the field, where a number of cheerleaders and soccer players were trying to keep their balance against the ongoing earthquake. Lance joined her, as an earthquake was easier for him to stop the closer he was to it's centre. Running over as a chasm opened beneath their feet, Rogue grabbed a cheerleaders arm; pulling her to safety and seeing Jean Grey do the same to one of her soccer team-mates.

Meanwhile, Spyke and Shadowcat were taking out the cameras and news satellite. The other X-Men had also run down to the field, though to help or hinder the Brotherhood was still in question. For some reason, they had bothered to change into their uniforms! For heaven's sake, they were trying to stop the damage and find a way to cover it up! Who would be dumb enough to go out in costume when you were trying to convince people that you _weren't_ freaks?

From there, things only got worse. A few people slammed into Blob in their haste to escape, causing him to trip and drop the hawk, which tumbled to where Shadowcat was standing, looking to make sure that there were no cameras left operational. From where he was fighting with Cyclops, having managed to stop the earthquake, Lance went pale. "Kitty!"

He hit the X-Girl in a flying tackle, knocking her to safety, but didn't manage to dive out of the way fast enough to avoid the falling hawk, which hit him in a burst of fire and heavy, burning metal. Kitty picked herself up, looking horrified as she saw him lying unconscious. "Oh my god, Lance!"

Kitty ran forward, phasing him out from underneath the statue and dragging him away. Storm chose this moment to make a dramatic appearance, flying in and bringing a rainstorm to douse the flames. Under the heavy downpour, things settled down, as far as powers were concerned, but now the Normal Humans were looking at the Brotherhood and X-Men with a mixture of fear, hatred and/or disgust.

Motioning her team over to where Lance lay in Kitty's arms, Rogue prepared for another angry mob, taking note of any possible escape routes. Cyclops stood nearby, with his arm around Jean Grey, and Nightcrawler was helping Toad limp over to where the Brotherhood sat. Looking around for the other mutants, Rogue saw Storm jerk in shock, apparently protesting something as Professor X raised his hands to his temples, preparing to use his telepathy.

It seemed to take hours, but was probably only a few minutes. Professor Xavier's face was a study in concentration as he presumably tried to alter the crowd's memories. Thankfully, it worked, and the Humans' faces slowly took on the dazed expressions of someone who has just been psychically affected. Rogue slowly started to relax in sheer relief, only to be alarmed again as the Professor collapsed, accompanied by Storm's panicked cry of, "Charles!"

* * *

Rogue had never dreaded going to school as much as she did the next morning. After the Professor's collapse, the Brotherhood and X-Men had quickly parted ways, hoping to get out of there before anything else happened. Rogue could only hope that the Professor had been thorough enough, and that no one outside of the Mutants remembered what had happened.

Her fears were laid to rest as she walked to her locker, head held high, rolling her eyes as she noticed two girls standing in front of it, talking excitedly. Approaching on silent feet, Rogue overheard a snippet of their conversation. "So, can you believe how much damage the exploding fireworks did last night? My dad says that the School Board is going through a Health and Safety Regulations check and everything!"

A patented Death Glare sent the girls scurrying on their terrified way, and Rogue opened her locker to collect her books for the day, breathing a sigh of relief. For now, at least, the secret of Mutants was safe.

_x_

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A/N: OK, another chapter is up. It took longer than I had expected, but my partner for a TAFE project decided to drop, mid-semester, so I have to catch up on her part of the work as well as my own.

_Anyway, please leave a review, even if it's only to tell me if I've done something wrong. Things are really starting to diverge now, and I'd love your opinions. Constructive Criticism is welcomed, and flames are laughed at._

_Thanks,  
__Nat._


	13. Chapter Eleven

_Disclaimer: As usual. I'm getting bored of typing it out every time I write a chapter._

_Summery: The same as above._

**

* * *

**

Chapter Eleven

"They fought as a team, they played like a team, and they respected each other as team mates!" In yet another assembly, Principal Kelly was giving yet another speech about the Bayville Hawk girls Soccer Team. In direct contrast with Kelly's enthusiasm, Rogue was trying not to yawn. Really, did they _have_ to sit here and listen to Jean Grey get another award? Did anyone other than the Soccer Team really _care_ who they considered their 'most valued player'? She almost wished that Lance's powers were still acting up, if only to provide a distraction.

About ten seconds after her mental rant, things got a lot more interesting. Lance was still trying not to doze off on Kitty's shoulder, three rows in front of her, but he wasn't the only mutant in the room. It seemed that someone had been listening for her prayer of someone's powers acting up, as Jean suddenly clutched her temples and screamed, dropping the soccer trophy, which fell to the floor, the head breaking off.

Several seats away, Rogue could see Scott half-rise to his feet, his face concerned. Luckily, Jean managed to compose herself fairly quickly, and re-gained her feet. Picking up the two pieces of the trophy, she tried to smile at the audience. "Sorry. Lost my head there for a second. As I was saying, I'd like to thank all of my team-mates, our coach, and everyone who showed up to support us."

Not that all of them had showed up to the games willingly, or anything. Rogue sighed and leaned back in her seat as Jean continued her speech. How much longer was this assembly going to last, anyway? **13** by **1** is **13...** **13** by **2** is **26...**, **13** by **3** is **39**…

* * *

Rogue had put the strange events of yesterday's assembly out of her mind, and was currently sitting in chemistry, feeling bored. If there was one thing Rogue hated more than Substitute or New teachers, it was Substitute or New Teachers being late. It gave the other students far too much time to gossip and left her with nothing to do except be forced to listen to the conversations around her.

Two tables to the left, a Jock was trying to impress a few cheerleaders with a rendition of his performance in the last football game, strongly implying that the game had rested on his shoulders. Obviously, he and Rogue had been at different games, as she distinctly remembered the Jock accidentally passing to the opposite team.  
One table in front of her, Kitty and Lance were talking about chemistry. Admittedly, Lance's main interest in chemistry and general science had been how certain elements related to his powers, and what reactions could theoretically cause the most mayhem, but still. "No, seriously, I like chemistry. At our other school, I was totally into it."

Kitty smiled, tilting her head. "Yeah? You ever make a stink bomb?"

Ooh, busted! Lance tried not to look too guilty as he replied. "Well, no. I was a bit more into how elements related to my powers. When they showed up, I wanted to know everything and anything about them."

Kitty's giggling was cut off by the sound of the door opening and the entrance of the new Science Teacher. He was tall and well built, giving off the impression that he was not a person to mess with. His face was friendly, though, and there was a spark of laughter in his eyes. Even so, he seemed more suited to Literature than Chemistry. "'_The time has come, the walrus said, to talk of many things_,' and the first is an apology. I'm Mr. McCoy, and I'm sorry for being late. They have me serving double duty as your physical education coach."

Rogue heard a comment of "Lucky us." from Lance and Kitty's general direction, and privately agreed. Rogue had a good feeling about this new teacher, and he couldn't possibly be worse than the football-obsessed manic who had taught them before. At the front of the class, Mr. McCoy was still speaking. "So anyway, that experiment you're all just dying to do. I say let's just do it and get it over with, huh? Who's up for making a stink bomb?"

Being the Brotherhood Leader didn't mean she couldn't have fun on occasion, and Rogue contented herself with a smile as the rest of the class was cheering Mr. McCoy's suggestion.

Oh, yes, Rogue had a very good feeling about this one.

* * *

OK, maybe Stink Bombs in Chemistry _hadn't_ been such a great idea, after all. Rogue didn't even want to think about how long it would take to get rid of the smell, but least they had the good fortune that Chemistry was their last subject before lunch. Pietro's speed managed to get Rogue back to the Brotherhood house, showered, and back at school in time for her next class. Now, if she could ignore the lingering headache that using other people's powers would give her, her day would probably be fine.

Before leaving the school, Rogue had hidden her stink bomb near the public school toilets, counting on them to mask the aroma. Her first class after lunch was History, where Rogue had it on good authority that most of her Chemistry class was planning to detonate their stink bombs, just to get out early. After that was a Study Period, and then Gym. Keeping a sharp eye on her class mates and watching for the appearance of a stink bomb gave Rogue enough warning to get out seconds before the odor explosion, and she quickly made her way back to the toilets to retrieve her own science project.

* * *

Rogue's stink bomb was destined for greater things than a distraction in History, and she hoped that the combination lock on the Principal's office closet hadn't changed since Mystique's term. Thinking about pranking the Principal's office led to thinking about how Mystique would have inevitably managed to catch them red-handed, which in turn led to thinking about how she missed her mother. Rogue still wasn't sure if she was ready to lead the Brotherhood by herself, and she missed having Mystique there if she faltered.

This gloomy trail of thought was cut off by the voice of Scott Summers, coming up behind her. "Hey, Rogue, are you all right? You look kind of down."

Rogue jumped slightly; annoyed that she had missed him coming up behind her. "Ah'm fahne, Summers. Just a bit pre-occupahed with something."

Jean came up behind Scott, and Rogue chose to leave before the red head started questioning her as well. Now, what was the old combination from when her mother had been principal…? Rogue hadn't gone three steps before she was cut off by a shriek from Jean. 'She's your _mother_? _**Mystique?**_"

Rogue spin around, lips curled into a snarl. 'Excuse me? Who gave you permission to go into mah head? Keep your mahnd to yourself next tahme, got it!"

Jean blinked, as though she hadn't realized she was using her telepathy. "What? Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize."

Rogue scowled at her, not believing it for a second. Jean's mental shields were too good for her to 'accidentally' slip up. "Yeah, rahght. Ah'm so sure."

* * *

Rogue was walking down the halls, consoling herself by thinking up creative ways to torture and kill Miss Jean Grey, when she heard a German-accented voice calling after her. "Rogue! Vait up!"

Oh, boy. Rogue turned around to see her brother running after her. This was going to be painful, even if it didn't come to blows for not telling him about their mutual parentage. Rogue stopped and waited, the usual defensive note gone from her voice. "What do you want, Blue-boy?"

Kurt looked just as uncomfortable as Rogue felt. "I just vant to talk. Can we go someplace private?"

Rogue considered the request. This had the potential to go badly in so many ways, but she couldn't avoid the explanation forever. "Ok, but the only way we'll get prahvacy is if ya teleport us outta here. Doesn't matter where, just off school grounds."

Kurt nodded and wrapped his arms around her. Rogue stiffened at the unexpected contact, but had no time to protest as Kurt teleported them away.

They re-appeared in an alley next to the ice-cream parlor. Rogue attempted to hide her smile at Kurt's choice of location, but failed as her brother grabbed her hand and dragged her in. Inside, he promptly sat her down at a table and rushed over to the counter. Watching him, Rogue let herself smile. For a few minutes, she could forget the conflict between teams, be affectionately tolerant of her brother's energy, and spend this short time pretending to be just normal siblings.

Rogue was broken out of her thoughts when Kurt returned, carrying a plain vanilla ice-cream, and some kind of bizarre combination that she didn't even want to think about, much less identify. "So, what did y'all want to talk about?"

Kurt looked down, shrugging slightly. "Mystique is your Muzzer, but also mine. I guess I just vanted to know what it vas like, growing up with her. Vas she a good mother? What did you do for fun? Am I older or younger? Who is our father? Vhy don't we know him? So many questions."

Kurt's accent got thicker when he was excited. Rogue sighed. "Ah was happy, growing up with Mama and Aunt Irene. Mama didn't know much about raising children, but she did her best. She never lahed to me, and made sure Ah always knew Ah was loved. The rest of your questions kinda tie into each other, and it's a long story."

Kurt smiled, taking a bite of his ice-cream. "Vill you tell me? You have a study period and no one vill notice if I miss History."

The History teacher wouldn't notice if the sky fell on top of him. The Brotherhood would probably start to worry if Rogue was absent from Gym, but the X-Men and Brotherhood were overdue for a confrontation anyway. "We told ya most of the story when you found out about Mama, but yeah, there is more." Rogue took a deep breath. "OK. About seventeen years ago, Mama was acting the wife of an Austrian Count, Christen Darkholme, and eventually, she fell pregnant with us. Nine months later, she gave birth to fraternal twins. The older was a girl with a streak of white in the beginning of her hair, but the second was a boy with blue skin, fur and a tail."

Rogue swirled her ice-cream, took a bite and a breath, and continued. "While in labor, Mama accidentally revealed her true shape, which resulted in a torch-carrying mob. Mama fled, taking us with her, and left us with Magneto, who she thought she could trust, while she led any followers on a merry chase away from us. That's when things went wrong. When she came back for us, Magneto had sent me to an orphanage overseas, and was doing experiments on you. Mystique took you and tried to escape, but tripped when she was crossing a bridge. You fell into a river, and when she managed to find you, you had already been picked up by the Wagners.

Magneto was still after Mama, so she knew you would be safer with a traveling circus than with her. So, she left you where she thought you would be happy, and set out to look for me. It took her several years, but then Auntie Irene had a vision, and she found me at an orphanage in Mississippi, took me home and raised me with Auntie Irene's help until mah powers showed up. Y'all know the rest from there."

Kurt nodded. "Out of curiosity, vhat happened to our father?"

Rogue smiled, but this one was in no way reassuring. "Pre-nuptial contract. Mama took everything movable, and then came back with a crowbar."

* * *

It would take a while to fully settle into their roles as brother and sister, but Rogue thoroughly enjoyed their time at the ice cream parlor, and seriously considered 'forgetting' the time until they had to go back to Bayville High for Gym. Teleporting to just out of sight of the school, Rogue and Kurt barely made it to the changing rooms in time. A death glare stopped any would-be clever remarks from the other girls, and a touch of super-speed had Rogue changed and out on the field in record time.

She had forgotten that it was track and field tryouts, and barely dodged several track hopefuls as she made her way to the long jump. Passing Scott and Duncan super-competing for Jean's attention yet again, Rogue sighed in disgust. Honestly, didn't they have anything better to do? A deep breath, a short run and a hop-skip and a jump, landing four feet from the starting point. Really, when you've been doing gymnastics and athletics from the age of four or so, High School Gym was easy.

Rogue really needed to stop jinxing herself with mental comments like that. High School Gym suddenly got a lot harder when Jean clutched her head again, falling to her knees as various equipment started rattling and flying all over the place. A javelin went flying toward where Kitty and a group of girls were getting ready for a short distance sprint. A quick and strong tremor sent them all crashing to the ground, seconds before the javelin buried itself in the bleachers, the height where their heads had been only seconds before.

Several shot-put balls went flying in all directions. Two headed straight for Mr. McCoy, causing Rogue to blink as he caught both of them in his bare hands. Scott dived out of the way of a third, Rogue executed an airborne flip to avoid the fourth, and the fifth headed straight for Duncan Matthews's head. A well-aimed eye-beam from Scott deflected it, and Rogue smirked as she calculated its trajectory. A crash and a startled yell proved that it had gone straight through Principal Kelly's window and smashed something.

Looking over to the cause of the commotion, Rogue saw Scott run to Jean, just in time for her to faint in his arms. Class was quickly canceled and try-outs temporarily postponed, and Rogue took her now very worried brother back to the Institute. With the state he was in, he would probably teleport to the other side of town, rather than the intended destination of the Institute.

* * *

They arrived just in time to see the elevator door close, and the other X-Men (minus Jean Grey) gather around the Professor, who was holding an ice-pack to his head. There was a loud crash from somewhere above them, and Kurt immediately bounded over to his team mates. "Vhat is going on up zhere?"

Another shake nearly sent them crashing to the floor. Spyke looked at the Professor. "Yeah, it's like something is nuking the place!"

Rogue was having better luck keeping her balance, but quickly decided that Lance's earthquakes were seldom nearly as bad as this. Kitty staggered as she agreed with Spyke. "Yeah. Is Jean, like, OK?"

If Jean Grey was all right, Rogue doubted that the X-Mansion would be shaking like this. Professor Xavier put it in slightly more diplomatic terms. "No, she's not. Her powers are evolving too rapidly for her to control."

Another crash shook the mansion, and Scott glanced worriedly at the ceiling, his Gym uniform in tatters. "I've got to get back up there!"

Wolverine stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Wait. You can't even get close to her. We need a plan."

Scott shook him off. "Like what?"

Rogue had a possible idea, but there was no way she planned to risk her sanity for Jean Grey's sake without a very good reason. Spyke, unfortunately, seemed to have been thinking along the same lines as she had. "If Jean's powers are too much for her to handle, maybe Rogue could drain some off. If we can get her close enough to touch Jean –"

Scott looked ready to agree, but Rogue cut then both off mid-sentence. "Don't Ah get a say in this? It's mah mahnd that's gonna get frahed if y'all turn out ta be wrong!"

Professor Xavier took Rogue's side. "She's right; it may prove too much for her. There's so much chaos in her mind, what she needs is something to focus on."

Scott interrupted. "If Rogue can clear her thoughts, then maybe I can get her to focus on me."

Wolverine's low growl agreed with Scott. "We don't have too many options, Charles. What do ya say kid? You gonna help us, or not?"

Rogue was very tempted toward the 'not' option, but if this continued, she had a Feeling that something very bad was going to happen. She sighed in disgust. "You people owe me _so_ much for this. Kurt, teleport me as close as ya can, and let's hope mah powers are up to it."

* * *

The small group had barely stepped out of the elevator before they had to duck a flying examination table. At the end of the hall, Jean was floating several feet above the floor, large chunks of debris revolving around her at high speeds. Professor X sounded unusually calm, considering the situation. "Her telekinesis seems to be rearranging objects on a molecular level. I fear we haven't much time."

Rogue grimaced and followed the others toward the floating mutant. She had a bad feeling about this.

Cyclops and Wolverine set about demolishing objects as they flew at the small group. A metal tray flew toward Shadowcat at high speeds. She let it phase through her, only to have it smash Kurt in the face. "Oof. Thanks a lot!"

Shadowcat turned to apologize, only to get clonked on the back of her own head with something that Rogue couldn't identify. She dodged a few more flying heavy objects while Kurt recovered. "Kurt, get ready to teleport me up!"

Kurt wrapped his arms around his sister. "Hang on, we're going in!"

A _bamf_ had them reappearing a few meters away from Jean. A burst of Quicksilver's speed mid-air sent Rogue clinging to a stalactite barely a meter away from the red head as Professor Xavier called out to her. "Now, Rogue, you must do it now!"

Rogue glared down at him as she tried to get in a position that would let her touch Jean's bare face. "You think this is easy? Ah'm going as fast as Ah can!"

Bracing her legs against the rock, Rogue launched herself over to a hanging wire cord. Hooking a leg around it, Rogue reached out and managed to grip Jean's bare skin with both hands.

It was one of the hardest things she had ever had to do. The power of Jean Grey's mind was fueled by something else more powerful than anything Rogue had ever witnessed. It was almost inhuman, and the sensation was worse than when her powers had first emerged. Rogue brought every second of her training and control to bear, and still only just managed to hold her own.

Jean's mind was strong, but Rogue was no slouch either. The psyches she had previously absorbed only added to her already formidable willpower as she fought back against the overwhelming presence. Rogue barely noticed as the wire snapped, and she fell out of the air. Scott caught her, easing her to the ground as he yelled out to Jean. Rogue barely heard him, and she knew that Jean couldn't either. Raising the strongest barrier she could against this newest psyche, Rogue separated her mind from this new presence, then grabbed onto it firmly. This was her mind, and there was no way she was going to let someone else take over now!

Connecting with Jean's power, she flowed with the overwhelming current, connecting to Jean's mind and letting the other girl's psyche speak through her. "Scott? Where are you? Help me, Scott!"

Straining to keep the connection open, Rogue forced Jean's waking mind to focus on Scott as he begged her, or rather Jean, to focus on him. "I can't, Scott! I'm losing you!"

Enough was enough. Rogue's own stubborn will battled its way to the front of her mind and gave Jean's psychic self a mental bitch-slap. _Get it together, Grey! I'm not letting you take over my mind just so you can give in and feel sorry for yourself! Pull yourself together and take control, damn it!_

Rogue could feel Jean rallying herself, fighting to take back control of her own mind. The Jean in Rogue's mind started to recede, and Jean/Rogue's voice was softer as the still-floating red head spoke with her. "Scott?"

A burst of light sent everyone flying, and the debris dropped to the floor as Jean collapsed back onto the examination table in the middle of the room, which had somehow remained in the one place. Rogue fell backward; hitting her head on the cold floor as Cyclops promptly dropped her as he ran over to Jean. Muttering several curses that Rogue knew would have earned her a shocked look, had Xavier been paying attention, the Brotherhood girl staggered to her feet, supporting herself against the wall as everyone else ran over to their fallen team mate.

After several minutes, everyone finally stopped fawning over Jean long enough to notice that the Brotherhood girl was barely staying upright. "Rogue, are you OK? How are you feeling?"

Rogue collapsed on the ground, absolutely exhausted. "Ah don't think Ah can even move rahght now. Ask me again once Ah get Miss Grey's psyche under control."

Kurt helped her up, supporting her as they staggered down the hall. "Do you vant me to ring ze Brotherhood and tell them vhat has happened?"

Rogue nodded, there was no sense in having anyone jump to conclusions. "Tell them Ah'm fahne, and Ah should be back in tahme for dinner. Ah'd expect an angry phone call soon, though. Mama is with Auntie Irene, so she'll know in about fahve minutes, and she ain't gonna be happy about all of this."

Professor Xavier raised an eyebrow. "Irene Adler, your former guardian? I thought she had disappeared when you came to Bayville. Why would Mystique be with her?"

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Ya mean other than the fact that Mama trusted her to raise her only daughter? Aunt Irene's code name is Destiny. She's a pre-cog, and an old friend of Mystique's. Mystique is staying with her while she recovers from Asteroid M. Are there any more questions, or do y'all have a couch Ah can collapse on? Ah need to fahle Miss Grey's psyche away before Ah pass out."

Kurt nodded eagerly. "You can come up and rest in my room. You can lie down and I can keep questioning you about our Muzzer."

* * *

The sky was starting to grow dark, and Rogue was getting ready to head back to the Brotherhood Boarding House. Still not fully recovered, she walked carefully to the front door, where Lance was flirting with Kitty as he waited; Rogue was stopped again by Professor Xavier. "You saved Jean's life today, Rogue. If there is anything we can do to thank you, please let us know."  
Rogue was about to tell him to _never_ mention it again, but stopped when a thought struck her. Perhaps there _was_ something he could do for her… "Wanda Maximoff."

Rogue had the very rare experience of seeing the Professor look shocked. "I beg your pardon?"

Rogue sighed and repeated herself. "Wanda Maximoff. Female Mutant, age 17, Pietro's twin sister. Ah want ya ta use that scanner of yours ta fahnd out where she is. Ah've just got mah brother back, but Pietro has spent over eight years wondering if his sister is even alahve. Ah want ya to fahnd her so he can at least see for himself."

Professor X raised an eyebrow. "And if I don't or can't do this for you?"

Rogue shrugged. "Then it takes a bit longer and we fahnd out for ourselves. The Brotherhood protect each other, and that makes Wanda family too. The same goes for Kurt, except he's already an X-Man."

Xavier sighed. "I will see what I can do. Kurt will tell you when I have any results."

Rogue nodded. "Thank you, Professor." Turning to leave again, she called to Lance. "Hey, lover boy! Tahme to go!"

Lance sighed and kissed Kitty on the cheek as he followed his team leader. "Just wait until you get a boyfriend, Roguey. Then I'll really get you back for this."

Rogue raised an eyebrow at him. "Ah have fahve overprotective brothers, and most of Bayville is too scared of me to trah. Besahdes, it's mah sisterly duty to be a pain. Be thankful Ah don't have any embarrassing baby stories ta tell."

Lance scowled at her as Kurt hovered around Rogue until they reached the Jeep. "Pest. Come on, we'll pick up pizza on the way home, and then you can go lie down. I'll get the others to stay quiet."

Home and a quiet lie down. At that point in time, Rogue couldn't think of anything that sounded better.

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A/N: So, we have another chapter up! It took a bit longer than I had planned, but Real Life has been getting in the way. Last chapter was a bit of a disappointment as far as reviews and constructive criticism are concerned, and I would really appreciate feedback. As much as things like 'good job, write more' boost my ego, I'd also like to hear any corrections or suggestions you can give.

_Thanks, Nat_


	14. Chapter Twelve

_Disclaimer: As usual._

_Summary: The same._

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Chapter Twelve

For all that they lived in a mansion with just about everything a teenager could ever want, Rogue frequently pitied the X-Men. The Brotherhood Boarding house might be smaller, its inhabitants not as refined, but at least they didn't have to get up at four a.m. for hours of training in a room that tried to kill you.

Also, the Brotherhood didn't have Tabitha Smith. Rogue had spent very little time with the girl, and avoided her if at all possible, but the tidbits of conversation from the New Recruits and the tales of woe from Kitty and Kurt had painted a clear enough picture. Rogue supposed that Boom-Boom was a nice enough girl (despite the questionable code name) but she never seemed to think, and paid no heed to the consequences of her actions.

Rogue hadn't forgotten Tabitha's impulsive words and actions in the soccer match that nearly exposed mutants, and that sort of thoughtless attitude was going to get Tabitha in a lot of trouble one day. If it wasn't Kitty complaining about how Tabitha had destroyed a cherished possession to try and make the brunette 'lighten up', it was someone else wondering if murder was _always_ a crime.

This morning, it was Kurt as they walked to their lockers, describing how Tabitha had been goofing off in that morning's 'Rescue Training', thrown a cherry-bomb at a cliff, and nearly gotten them both killed, not to mention grounded. "…and now she is acting like she has a crush on me! If she laughs while she nearly kills me when we are just team-mates, vhat vill she do if we actually date? I vant to live!"

Considering Rogue had been hearing similar stories ever since Tabitha joined (Kitty running into the Boarding House and begging Lance to hide her had been hard to miss. As was the mini-earthquake when Pietro made a lewd suggestion about how to 'hide' the X-Girl) it wasn't hard to look sympathetic. "Ah hate to say it, but better y'all than us. Ah would've snapped and drained her by now. Whah hasn't Xavier done something about it yet, though? Ya and Kitty can't be the only ones to have complained."

The aforementioned girl ran up behind them. "We aren't, but Professor Xavier only says that we everyone deserves a chance, and that we have to give Tabby time to settle in and learn the limits. I just wish she'd stop testing the limits on my possessions! You'd think she could 'limit' herself to non-sentimental objects, like, ones that don't include my Star of David!"

Rogue winced. Kitty had mentioned that her mother had given her the necklace at her bat mitzvah, a ceremony Rogue knew about from Pietro, who had described it as one of the few times Magneto had actually shown any attention to him. She also knew that the Star of David in question had been a family heirloom, passed down from Kitty's great-great-grandmother, and meant a lot to Kitty, even if she seldom wore it. "Ouch. Is it salvageable?"

Kitty's angry scowl changed into a faintly evil smirk. "Yeah. I kinda, like, phased Boom Boom through the floor into the boys' locker room before she could do anything. I, like, don't think that'll stop her from doing it again, though."

Rogue smiled faintly. Who knew Kitty had an evil side, as obviously restrained as it was? All three mutants winced as Principal Kelly's voice came over the loudspeaker. _'All students please report to the Gym for a morning assembly.'_

* * *

Assemblies were created by the unholy powers specifically to torture High School students. Rogue stifled another yawn as she half-listened to Kelly drone on about the latest School Fundraiser. "Good morning, students. Tonight is the big night. The Bayville High Carnival Fundraiser! Remember, all proceeds will go to help rebuild our gymnasium after last month's fire. So, we really hope to see all of you back here tonight!"

At Principal Kelly's last sentence, Rogue winced and the Brotherhood exchanged glances. The 'fire' in question had actually been caused by the Brotherhood and X-Men, after their powers had accidentally been revealed and had caused a riot during a soccer match. Professor Xavier had managed to wipe the Human's minds of anything unusual, but none of Bayville's mutant population liked the reminder.

Re-focusing on the present, Rogue went back to planning how to improve the Brotherhood's training, as she didn't want them falling behind just because Mystique wasn't with them. The Brotherhood might not be as good as the X-Men, but that didn't mean that they were going to be sloppy, either. Mystique had raised her daughter to be a leader, and Rogue intended to live up to that expectation.

When the X-Men and Brotherhood fought, the X-Men tended to go one-on-one against them. Scott usually targeted Lance, and Pietro and Evan tended to gravitate to each other. Having several extra minds in her head gave Rogue a certain amount of resistance to telepathy, and she was agile enough to dodge most telekinetic missiles. Blob's sheer mass made it harder for Kitty to phase through him (Rogue wasn't exactly sure how or why) and Toad easily matched Kurt for agility. so Rogue would need to work on both those pairings, and on going against random opponents in a fight. No need to drop out of the fight just because your usual target was absent, after all, and Heaven knew that no plan ever survived the first five minutes of a conflict, especially when mutant powers were involved.

The Brotherhood didn't have anywhere near the technology that the X-Men did, but Magneto had supplied them with some fairly good equipment when they had assisted him, and the contact for said equipment had yet to be informed about the Brotherhood's change in loyalty.

Now, how to adjust what they had into a proper training program? Rogue's train of thought was cut off as Todd nudged her, and she turned her attention back to Principal Kelly. How long was his speech going to take, anyway?

* * *

Murder was considered a crime, and the fact that Rogue had heard the same Assembly speech over the announcement system five – excuse her, six – times now would not be considered justification. Maybe if she reminded herself enough times, Rogue would stop daydreaming about the best way to strangle Principal Kelly with his own entrails.

Walking into her Chemistry class, Rogue sat down next to Kurt, who was muttering about 'yellow-haired maniacs', 'asking nicely' and a 'Social Studies book'. Pulling her own books out, Rogue sighed. On the other hand, at least annoying announcements were the only thing she had to put up with.

Kurt and the X-Men had Boom-Boom.

At lunch, Rogue dutifully listened as Kurt sulked at not being allowed to go to the Carnival. Seeing her brother suddenly turn pale and try to hide behind his milk carton, Rogue was confused until she looked around and saw Tabitha waving at them. Kurt sighed, obviously resigned to his doom. "Hello, Tabitha."

The overly perky blonde walked over and flung herself into the seat that Rogue had been saving for Kitty. "Hey, Blue! Got your social studies book right here, thanks! Whoa, nectarine smash, I love these!"

She grabbed the soda from Kurt, who managed to snatch it back before she could drain it. "Soda machine is right down that hallway."

Tabitha ran a finger along his cheek as she walked past. "Stingy boy. See you around."

She swept off and all eyes turned to the returned social studies book. Rogue barely managed not to cringe. Kurt and Scott didn't bother to hide their dismay. "Look, she doodled all over it, and she even dotted her '_i_'s with little explosions! My teacher already has it out for me; how am I going to explain this?"

Rogue sighed and leaned back. "It's tahmes like this that Ah really appreciate the Brotherhood. At least Ah can depend on them not writing all over my textbooks and messing around in training."

Scott frowned at her, then straightened to glare over Rogue's shoulder. "Don't rub it in, it's bad enough that she almost got Kurt killed this morning. Just be careful around her."

Rogue twisted in her seat to see what Cyclops was glaring at, and spotted Lance waving at her. Giving her brother a sympathetic pat on the arm, Rogue stood and made her way over to her team mate. Reaching him, she saw that the soda machine next to him was in bad shape, cans and coins scattered over the floor while the machine itself was smoking. "Run-in with Hurricane Boom-Boom, Ah take it."

Lance nodded. "Breaking rules and appliances. If I didn't know she'd drive us crazy in a week, I'd almost suggest her as potential Brotherhood material."

Rogue sent her honorary older brother a rueful smirk. "Don't even joke about that. Ah've got a Bad Feeling where she's concerned. She's gonna push too far one day, and it won't end up good for her."

Lance gave her a concerned look as Rogue blinked, surprised at the words from her own mouth. "I almost heard the capital letters in there, Roguey. Please tell me that it was just dislike, and not lingering residue from when Destiny visited up over the weekend."

Rogue frowned. "Ah don't know. Just keep an eye out. Hopefully, everything will be fahne."

* * *

The Bad Feeling had not dispersed by the final bell, and lingered through the new Brotherhood Training routines. Finally, Rogue decided to get out of the Boarding House and do something about it.

The Brotherhood boys chose to go out for the night, largely because Lance was meeting up with Kitty, and the others wanted to see how many times they could interrupt before one of the two got pissed and threatened their lives. Rogue simply rolled her eyes and borrowed Kurt's powers to go and visit her mother and aunt.  
Rogue may have had better control, but that didn't mean she enjoyed public places, especially noisy ones like fairs. Besides, if anyone could help her figure things out, it would be Destiny.

* * *

Careful not to make a sound, Rogue phased through the door, scarcely daring to breathe. A single wrong step, and this already near-impossible mission would be blown to hell. She was almost there, just a few more steps and… "Hello, Anna-Marie."

Damn. Would she ever succeed? "Hi, Auntie Irene."

A tolerant smile. "Raven, Rogue just arrived. We were just about to have dinner, dear, would you like to join us?"

Rogue smiled back and went to set the table. Heaven knew that the Brotherhood were like family to her, but it was nice to have some peace and quiet for a change. Carefully hugging her mother in greeting, Rogue started to bring the two women up to date on everything that had been happening.

* * *

Returning home barely half an hour before she would have to leave for school, Rogue entered the kitchen to a scene of horror: Boom-Boom of the X-Men was sitting at the table, 'borrowing' everyone else's breakfast. Stepping back before anyone noticed her, Rogue lifted an eyebrow at Lance, who had just come down the stairs. Lance gave her an apologetic look, "She barged in and got settled before Pietro and I got back. At least Blob and Toad had enough sense to stop her from trying to take over Boss-Lady's room."

If Boom-Boom had tried that, there would have been trouble. As it was, Rogue was likely to be in a Bad Mood for a long time. Just to consolidate her bad mood, Boom-Boom chose that moment to look up, jumping from her chair and practically waltzing over. "Rogue, how's it hanging! You know, Rogue isn't the best name, how about we call you 'Stripes' or something? It goes with the hair."

Rogue sent the other girl a glare that, by all rights, should have incinerated her. "Mah name is Rogue, and it's staying that way."

Boom-Boom looked indignant and glared back. Rogue remained unaffected. A silver blur sped into the room, skidded to a halt at the sight of the girls facing off, and broke the sound barrier in his haste to retreat. After a few moments, Tabitha was the first to back down. "Whatever. I'm going out to celebrate getting away from the X-Geeks after school, though, so don't wait up!"

She started to walk away, but Rogue's voice froze her in place. "Ah doubt you're the only one celebrating that. We've got training after school, and Ah want you there training with us."

Tabitha glared at her again. "Too bad. Who says you get to order me around, anyhow? I can do what I want!"

Rogue was perfectly matter of fact, her face devoid of emotion. "Ah lead the Brotherhood, and this is mah house. You want ta stay here, you follow the same rules as the rest of us. End of Story."

Turning on her heel, Rogue grabbed an apple and left the Boarding House, ignoring the boys, who were trying to pretend that they hadn't been eavesdropping. There was a punching bag in the School Gym that was calling her name, especially if she wanted to make it through the day without strangling Tabitha with her own entrails.

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A/N: I know that Kitty's religion is only shown for about five seconds during 'On Angel's Wings', but this is more a tribute to my Great-Grandmother, who was Jewish, and who died eighteen years ago today.

_Yeah, I know the chapter is short, but I just moved and I'm still getting things in order, so I don't know when I'll be able to post next. Review and tell me what you think._


	15. Chapter Thirteen

_Disclaimer: As always._

_Summary: See previous chapters._

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Chapter Thirteen

Rogue sat on her bed, meditating. In her mind's eye, she carefully opened the 'filing cabinet' for absorbed powers, focusing on Jean Grey's telekinesis. Slowly, Rogue opened her eyes and focused on the textbook in front of her, levitating it into the air and counting under her breath. "Mississippi one, Mississippi two, Mississippi three, Mississippi four…"

Rogue's door crashed open with a Bang. Rogue's eyes flew to the doorway, as she telekinetically threw the textbook toward the sudden interruption. Tabitha didn't duck in time, and suffered a direct hit to the forehead, knocking her to the floor. Rogue didn't even bother to hide her smirk as the blonde picked herself up off the floor. "No need to go ballistic, Stripe Head! Lighten up a little!"

Rogue only raised an eyebrow, not even trying to be sincere. "Oops. Mah mistake." She uncrossed her legs and stood up, stretching. "Ah've told ya to stay outta mah room, Bam-Bam, and don't call me Stripe Head. What's so damn important?"

Tabitha glared at her, to absolutely no effect. "I wanted to know when we are having dinner. I have plans for tonight!"

Rogue retrieved her fallen book and placed it back on her bookshelf. "It ain't mah turn ta cook, so how should Ah know? You wanna eat, make something yourself. And drop the attitude, or your only plans for tonahght will involve the training room!"

Boom-Boom stuck out her tongue, but the two girls had clashed horns enough times for Tabitha to know when to back off. "Lighten up, already. Your room is too depressing, anyway."

Rogue telekinetically lifted the anatomy textbook on her desk, raising a meaningful eyebrow at Tabitha. "Mah room is just fahne, thanks, and it'll be even better once ya leave. Out!"

Tabitha got the message and left. Rogue returned the book to its normal place and closed her eyes to meditate. Jean's power had been stronger than she had expected, even considering the magnitude of the power surge a few weeks ago, and out of Rogue's acquired powers, it was the hardest to get back under control after using. Hearing a small explosion from downstairs, Rogue sighed and reminded herself to tell the rest of the Brotherhood that the next load of structural damage was coming out of the perpetrator's allowance.

_Peace. Quiet. Tranquility. Peace. Quiet. Tranquility. Resist urge to strangle Boom-Boom with her own entrails. Peace. Quiet. __Tranquility. Peace…_

* * *

Professor Xavier had come through with his promise of finding Wanda, and Mystique had just sent word that she had gained access to the Mental Asylum where she was being held. That meant a visit, which meant the Brotherhood needed to come up with some method of keeping Tabitha out of the way. Bloodstains were a nightmare to get out of the carpet, and Mystique wasn't as tolerant as Rogue

Upon hearing the location, Pietro had wanted to rush off as fast as his mutation could carry him, and it had taken the entire Brotherhood, and the fact that Pietro may not be Wanda's favorite person, to hold him back. So, they had settled for the next best thing: another teenage girl with experience in uncontrollable powers.

Well, hearing voices in her head (even if they were just absorbed psyches) was a good enough excuse for Rogue to visit a mental asylum, and besides, she honestly did want to meet Pietro's twin.

* * *

The next day was Friday, and Rogue caught up to Kurt outside their lockers. "Kurt, wait up!"

The 'fuzzy one' of the X-Men smiled at her. "Hey, Rogue. How was your weekend?"

Rogue glared at a passing eavesdropper, who stopped listening and hurried on their way. "If you discount Boom-Boom's continued presence, it was fine. Mama is coming down over the weekend, though, and she wants to know if you are free."

Kurt brightened instantly and Rogue smiled. It was nice to have at least one brother who didn't want her dead. "Definitely! The Professor is away, but I can get Evan to create a disaster and clear it with Scott while he is distracted."

Rogue was torn between smirking and sympathy. "He left Scott and Jean in charge? Is the mansion still standing?"

Kurt pretended to take offense. "Oh, Slander and villainous lies! We aren't that bad. I cannot believe you would think it of me."

Rogue smirked this time. "I never said you were going to be the cause. I wouldn't put it past one of the others to plan some kind of unsupervised wild party, though."

At the word 'party' several nearby ears perked up, including those of Iceman and Shadowcat. Seeing this, Rogue winced; she had actually been joking. Well, if they took her seriously, it would hardly be Rogue's fault.

* * *

A quick explanation to the Brotherhood as classes let out and a half-hour motorbike ride later, and Rogue was being escorted to a room that currently held a raven-haired girl in a straight-jacket. A glare and a slight telepathic jab sent the guards in the opposite direction, and caught the girl's interest. "Nice work. Who are you, anyway? Xavier never said anything about visitors before."

Rogue leaned back in her chair. "The name is Rogue, and from what Ah've heard you're not so bad yourself. Xavier's team doesn't really think much of mahne, so he probably wouldn't have mentioned me."

Wanda hadn't tried to hex her yet, and seemed to be relaxing. Or at least, not showing any open hostility. Rogue took that as a good sign. "You probably already know that I am Wanda, but that still doesn't tell me what you're doing here. Or how you knew I was here in the first place."

Rogue shrugged. "Pietro's been trahing to fahnd you ever since Magneto left you here. We fahnally managed to track you down, and we're figuring out a way to get you loose."

Something sparked in Wanda's eyes, but it was gone before Rogue could identify it. "If Pietro is so concerned, why isn't he here with you? If he cared so much, why did he let Father abandon me here? Why are you so interested in helping me?"

A light bulb smashed overhead, not such a good sign. Rogue tried to ignore it. "All things considered, we thought that Pietro might not be your favorite person rahght now, but it still took three people threatening to sit on him to stop him racing over here as soon as he found out where you were. He didn't stop Magneto from leaving you here because he was eight years old, there wasn't a whole lot he could do, and Magneto had him convinced that it was for your own good and that he'd see you again in a few weeks."

Wanda raised an eyebrow, but at least she didn't call Rogue a liar, which had to count for something. "I'll believe that when I can see and speak to him for myself. You still haven't said why you're so keen on helping me with all this."

Rogue sighed. "Two reasons. First, Ah know what it's lahke to not be able to control your powers. Before Agatha taught me control, Ah couldn't touch anyone without knocking them unconscious and having their personality taking over mah mahnd. Agatha helped me, and she can help you, too, if you let us. Second, if we bust you out, I stand a chance of a female housemate who _won't_ drive me up the wall."

Wanda considered Rogue's words for a moment. "The guards keep too close a watch on me for you to get me out right now. That part will have to wait. But it would be nice to have someone visit once in a while, until they let their guard down. I need someone to talk to who doesn't babble mindlessly."

Rogue grinned. "Sounds good to me. Listen, we've got an hour before the guards come back. You wanna get out of that jacket for a bit?"

Wanda matched the smile with one of her own. "Oh, Hell yes!" the straightjacket was quickly discarded. "So, tell me what life is like for you. Where do you live, what are you're housemates like? What's this 'Team' of Professor Xavier's like?"

Rogue settled down for a long story. "Ah was raised in Caldecott County, Mississippi. About two years ago, Mama relocated to Bayville, New York, where Ah joined her a few months later. We live in a large house originally named the Brotherhood of Bayville Boarding House…"

* * *

The rest of the hour was taken up by conversation. Rogue described the ongoing Brotherhood vs. X-Men feud, the Brotherhood themselves, and several of their more amusing escapades. Wanda told Rogue some _very _interesting stories about her and Pietro's childhood and asked about Agatha Harkness. Before they knew it, visiting hours were up, and Rogue was being escorted out, promising to bring Pietro next time she visited.

Rogue arrived home just in time to be bowled over by a hyperactive Pietro. "Did you see Wanda? How is she? Does she remember me? We're twins, of course she remembers me Can I go and see her next time? Oh, no, she must hate me for not coming sooner! I have to go and see her and fix things! I don't care if she hexes the living daylights out of me, I have to get her away from there and make things right again."

Pietro was ready to bolt up to his room and start planning a break-out, (not a good thing; Pietro just didn't have the necessary subtlety) but Rogue grabbed him. Best to head that off before it began. "Yes, Ah saw Wanda, and she's fahne. No, you can't plan a break-out yet. Yes, she remembers you. No, she doesn't hate you. Yes, she actually asked if you could come next tahme."

Pietro visibly relaxed. "She did? Really? That's good." He bolted upright again. "I have to start planning! I can bring her some things until we get her out. Wanda always loved reading; I'll go to the mall tomorrow and get her some books. I still have a picture of her and our mum, I wonder if she'd like that?"

Rogue was about to be deliberately insensitive and tell him exactly where to shove his planning, but a gust of wind indicated that Pietro had already retreated upstairs, barely missing Todd, who had been coming down. "Watch it, yo! Hey, Rogue, the phone's for you. Your brother is pretty excited about something."

Rogue took the phone off her housemate. "Thanks, Todd. Pietro's probably going to be zooming around for a while yet, so Ah suggest staying out of the way."

There was a thump and an indignant protest that sounded very much like Fred. Rogue and Todd both winced at the sound of an argument starting. "Good call, yo."

* * *

Rogue's sarcastic comment about a wild party _had _been taken seriously, and Kurt had instantly called to invite her. Half an hour later, Shadowcat called with a similar invitation for Lance. Eager to get out of the increasingly chaotic house, both mutants quickly agreed.

Aside from escaping the Boarding House, Rogue's motivation for attending the party was four-fold: Spend time with Kurt, wait for Pietro to calm down before she had to deal with him again, avoid Boom-Boom, and see how much trouble the X-Men got into when various authority figures found out about the event.

Lance was present because Kitty had invited him, and there would be no chance for the rest of the Brotherhood to show up and interfere during this semi-date. Heaven knew they did that enough every other time.

Of course, someone just had to go and invite Arcade, who had spent the last week trying to impress Rogue. Rogue was hardly superficial when it came to valued qualities in relationships (Just look at her family!) but Arcade just got on her nerves. She had managed to avoid him so far, even to the point of dragging Cannonball onto the makeshift dance floor, but it seemed that he had finally caught up with her. "Hey, Rogue, I found the coolest computer game room! Want to go check it out?"

Rogue barely suppressed a groan. Fred had accidentally squashed the Brotherhood's game collection two days ago, and Tabitha had promptly blown up the remains, but that didn't mean she was willing to spend who knew how long with this computer obsessed idiot. "No. Feel free to burn me a copy of anything you fahnd, though."

Arcade looked crestfallen, but didn't press the issue. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a disk. "I already did, here. Are you sure you don't want to dance?"

Rogue pinned him with a glare. "Very sure. Why don't you go and ask one of the other girls. There are plenty around."

Doing an excellent impersonation of a kicked puppy, Arcade left, presumably in the direction of the computer games he had found. Nothing ever stayed secret in High School, and it didn't take long before news of the relationship between Kurt and Rogue became common knowledge, and the drama of 'long-lost-now-reunited-family' had elevated them both to celebrity status. Combined with the fact that Principal Darkholme was no longer showing up with detention if you started paying too much attention, people had started to Notice Rogue.

The Jocks had backed off after Rogue had decked a linebacker who had gotten too insistent, and Kurt and the Brotherhood had made it generally known to the rest of the school that anyone interested in Rogue had to get through them first. Sadly, there was always someone who just didn't get the message. Luckily for Rogue's plunging mood, Lance showed up. "Was he bothering you, Rogue?"

Attempting not to roll her eyes at the protective attitude (since when had Rogue needed protection?); Rogue grinned at her honorary brother. "It's fahne, Lance. You having fun?"

Lance returned the smile and glanced over to where Kurt had claimed Kitty for a dance. "Definitely. Thanks for getting the others off my back about coming, by the way. Boss Lady threatened to dismember me if I tore up the living room again."

For some unknown reason, disagreements involving mutant powers always took place in the living room. Given that Rogue's room was directly above the living room, it was debatable that Rogue herself wouldn't kill him herself the next time it happened. Any reply, however, was cut off by the appearance of Kitty and Kurt, who dragged them both back onto the dance floor.

If it had been anyone else, they would have been in a world of hurt only seconds after accosting her. As it was, Rogue had no real objection to dancing, and a hyped-up Kurt was almost always amusing to watch. "So tell me, how did you get Jean and Cyclops away from here?"

Kurt tried to look innocent. "Vhat makes you think that they didn't let us throw ze party?" He withered under Rogue's Look. "Ve lured them up to Kissing Point and stole Scott's car keys. Hopefully they'll get over themselves and admit that they like each other."

Rogue smirked at the unoriginal, but effective, idea. "And if they don't, it'll take them a good whahle to get back and call the party off."

Kurt grinned, then grabbed her hand and swung her into a dip as the music changed. Rogue made a valiant attempt not to laugh in surprise, barely succeeding. She could worry about Scott and Jean's reaction later.

* * *

The song was reaching its crescendo when Rogue heard Kurt's watch start beeping. Since the only watch Kurt wore was the holowatch that gave him the appearance of a normal human, Rogue felt that this might become cause for concern. "Is everything OK, Kurt?"

Kurt shook his head as she indicated his beeping watch. "No. This only happens if someone has messed with the security systems!"

Kitty sighed. "We have to leave the Newbies here. I'm not sure that they're ready, and it'll look suspicious if all of us disappear at the same time."

Evan paled. "But we don't know when Scott and Jean will be back, and if something managed to get past security, I don't know if just three of us can handle it."

Kitty pulled a face. "Tell me about it. Lance, Rogue, do you think you could help?"

The Brotherhood members exchanged a glance. "Yeah, we can help. Just what are we facing, though?"

If the blaring red lights and the sound of laser fire was any indication, they were facing something bad. Kurt, however, didn't seem as worried as she was. "I'll just teleport in and shut it down from inside."

He was gone before anyone could stop him, leaving Rogue to curse inaudibly under her breath. The Brotherhood had no room to talk regarding impulsive actions, but running straight into the danger room like that? As if things weren't already bad enough!

Evidently, Rogue was not the only one to think this was a bad idea, as Kitty waited all of five seconds before phasing through the door to see what was happening. Half a second later, she was back again. "Kurt's been hit!"

Rogues eyes widened, and then narrowed. Grabbing Kitty with one hand and Lance with the other, Rogue tapped into Kitty's powers and dragged them through the door, with Evan grabbing onto Kitty at the last moment.

The danger room was apparently set on a very high level, and the four mutants had barely made it through the door when they were forced to scatter. Rogue ducked under a flying razor disk that had barely missed Spyke. It embedded itself in the wall just over her head just as three huge, spiked metal balls activated and came rolling toward her. Rogue vaulted over the first two, and then was forced to throw herself out of the way of the third, landing near Spyke and Nightcrawler. "Kurt, wake up!"

They dragged the unconscious blue mutant to his feet as Rogue glanced to the other side of the room, where an earthquake had destroyed one machine and sent another on an angle to blast a third. Rogue spared a second to be proud of her team-mate's work as the Danger Room decided to take it up a notch. Seeing still more laser guns emerge from the walls, Spyke pulled Kurt's arm over his shoulder, leaving Rogue to take the other one. "Heavy duty! Let's move!"

They started moving back to the exit, dragging Kurt with them as Lance and Kitty did the same. Avalanche was forced to settle for evading most of the machines, as he just didn't have time to aim an earthquake at everything that came his way. Shadowcat had to stay constantly phased, but was mostly unharmed until she had to run trough a series of walls, the last of which was apparently resistant to mutant powers and knocked her out cold.

The other mutants reached Kitty's position at the same time. Lance lifted her up and they were just about to start running again when the floor began to sink and two large metal balls began rolling toward them, one on each side.  
Obviously, someone had been watching Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom too many times.

Unfortunately, the Brotherhood and the X-Men had no convenient plot twists or until-now-largely-useless sidekicks to save them, and if Kurt hadn't chosen that particular moment to regain consciousness, Rogue didn't even want to think about what might have happened.

* * *

Running for her life, Rogue thought as she ducked more laser fire, was not how she had envisioned spending the evening, and she had started wishing she had stayed at home at least ten minutes ago. The Boarding House might be six different kinds of chaotic, but at least the building itself wasn't out to kill you!

Busy cursing whoever was behind this to the eighth level of hell and back, Rogue barely noticed the flame throwers in time to skid to a halt before she ran into them. The group quickly turned around and sprinted in the other direction, pursued by fire. What else did this place have to throw at them?

They hadn't made it even halfway back down the corridor when another set of flame throwers popped up in front of them. Kurt grabbed Spyke and teleported away, while Kitty, Rogue and Lance phased through the wall. Whoever was behind this had better hope that Rogue never got him alone.

* * *

Through the wall and somehow up through the ceiling landed them in what looked like a security room, where they found Cyclops and Jean trying to shut something down and a screen zooming in on a kid in a large room, wearing what looked like a very bizarre computer game helmet. _Arcade_ was behind this?

Kitty explained this to Cyclops and Jean, who folded her arms across her chest. "Obviously a party guest?"

Lance sent a raised eyebrow in Rogue's direction. "Kind of missing the point, isn't she? Or am I the only one who noticed the Mansion trying to kill us."

Rogue nodded in agreement, and then turned her attention back to Kitty, who was squirming under scrutiny. "Um, yeah. But I don't know how he got into Cerebro."

Cyclops turned back to the screen. "We'll worry about that later. Let's just focus on getting him out of there."

Rogue folded her arms. "Good idea. Got any plans to get us there without this place trying to kill us?"

Cyclops was about to reply, but Arcade's face appeared on the screen. "Whoa, you're looking right at me! This is so cool. Here's your little feedback hello wave!"

Suiting action to word, Arcade waved at them, and seconds later, the room was crackling with energy, and everyone was trying to get back into the corridor without being electrocuted. It took several things being blown up, but they managed to get out and get to Cerebro.

Despite still crackling with the occasional burst of static, they managed to get the door open and sneak up on Arcade, just in time to hear him exclaim "Man! These players are good!"

Thoroughly fed up with the situation, Rogue abandoned stealth and stalked up behind him, pulling a glove off. "You don't know how good."

Mutant powers tended to be stronger when fueled by emotion. Arcade collapsed, out cold, with only a second of contact, his thoughts rushing into her head. The other mutants dragged the computer nut out as Rogue supported herself against the chair. After a few moments, she straightened up, stalking after the rest.

When Arcade had set the mansion to kill them, Rogue had been angry. When he had waved at them from the screen, Rogue had fumed. The discovery that Arcade had nearly killed them and blown the mansion up (with everyone in it) under the impression that it was a video game, however, had Rogue more than ready to carve Arcade's heart out with a wooden spoon.

That boy had better hope that Scott and Jean were a hell of a lot more understanding than she was right now!

* * *

Luckily for Arcade, his taxi was pulling out of the mansion gates when Rogue made her way upstairs. Wanting for nothing more than the night to be over, Rogue and Lance made their goodbyes and teleported back to the Boarding House.

Rogue made it as far as her room without incident, absently tossing the DVD Arcade had given her onto her desk. She could deal with whatever it really was later. Changing into her nightclothes, Rogue was just about to climb into bed when she heard someone pounding on her door.

Mentally promising Hellfire and Damnation if it turned out to be Boom-Boom with some idiotic request, Rogue had barely opened the door when Quicksilver shot in, seating himself on her bed. "So how was your visit with Wanda?"

Rogue barely managed not to groan. She had completely forgotten about that! Still, she had promised Pietro, and she had no doubts that he would simply nag her until she gave in and told him about her visit to the asylum in excruciating detail. In all fairness, she really couldn't blame him. It seemed that sleep was not going to be on Rogue's agenda for the night.

She was definitely reserving the right to be absolutely unbearable in tomorrow's training session.

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A/N: A lot of people are going to claim that Pietro's attitude about Wanda is out of Character. Keep in mind that in my story, Wanda hasn't just kicked the Brotherhood's ass, and Pietro is genuinly concerned about his sister. As an identical twin myself, I do have a general idea of how Pietro might be feeling. If people disagree, that's fine.

A/N: I know it's been much longer than usual between updates, but other stories, passing my TAFE course, job-hunting and moving house have taken up a lot of my time. Honestly, the chapter was mostly written, but I just couldn't come up with an appropriate ending.

_As always, constructive criticism is appreciated. Flames will be laughed at and used to burn my no-longer-needed finance exercise handouts. Thank God that class is over._

_Thanks, Nat._


	16. Chapter Fourteen

_Disclaimer: Do we really have to go over this again? I don't own X-Men: Evolution._

_Summary: See previous chapters._

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* * *

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Chapter Fourteen

The room was silent, broken only by the occasional gasp and sound of fist or foot meeting flesh in a fight of not-quite-epic proportions.

A feint to the left, followed by a powerful high kick from the right.

Retaliation in the form of a hard blow to the stomach, followed up with a lunge with the intent to knock her down.

A dodge, sliding around her attacker and delivering a harsh elbow to the back, knocking them off balance.

Ducking the return punch, dropping to the ground and sweeping her legs in a scissor-kick, sending her opponent crashing to the floor.

Springing up from her crouch and vaulting over to her opponent, knocking her back down and pinning her there.

A long pause, then rising to grab a towel and a water bottle, listening as her somewhat battered opponent picked herself up. "That was a dirty trip, Stripe-head."

Rogue lifted a casual eyebrow at Boom-Boom. "Ah've got more in stock if ya call me Stripe-head one more tahme. Use what intelligence you mahght actually have and shut up whahle ya are ahead."

Tabitha was smart enough to hold back the witty retort and settle for a glare as she headed out of the Brotherhood Boarding House training room/basement. Rogue began her cooling down stretches, mentally re-enacting and critiquing the fight as she did.

This latest clash of wills had been started by two simple facts. Fact one: Most people were smart enough not to piss Rogue off, and to listen when Rogue warned them. Fact two: Tabitha Smith was not most people.

The Brotherhood may not have had many rules, but those that they did have were enforced. One of the rules was showing up for training, or becoming a 'special demonstration partner' and getting your ass kicked to Mexico and back. Boom-Boom had been repeatedly warned about skiving off training sessions, and Rogue had finally become fed up and dragged Tabitha to the training room for a 'workout'.

Tabitha had a certain amount of street fighting and a month or so of X-Men training. Rogue had been raised by an assassin and former terrorist, and trained as often as conveniently possible. Tabitha had come off second best in the fight, but Rogue was running out of options to keep the girl in line.

Realistically, Rogue knew that no one in the Boarding House would complain if she threw Boom-Boom straight out of the door, but there were too many things that could go wrong with that, not the least being that Magneto might find her and discover the Brotherhood's less-than-loyal stance in regards to him.

Finishing her cool-down, Rogue headed upstairs. Tabitha was probably in the shower now, so Rogue would use the time to catch up on some school work. Picking up one of the numerous disks on her desk, Rogue slid it into her laptop and waited for the files to download. Locating her notebook, Rogue turned her attention to the screen…. and froze.

_Magma. Real name: Amara Aquilla.__ Powers: Generates extreme heat. Can control lava and volcanoes… Cannonball. Real name: Sam Guthrie. Powers: Expels thermo-chemical energy, propelling him through the air. Invulnerable while in flight…_Oh. My.

Sternly willing herself to remain calm Rogue walked over to her cell phone and dialed a number. "Mama? I've just found something that I think you need to see."

* * *

At Rogue's call, Mystique had returned to Bayville as quickly as possible, and was now looking over the files on the X-Men that Rogue had found. "Well, this is an unexpected windfall. How did you get these files?"

At something of a loss over that herself, Rogue could only shrug helplessly. "Ah have no idea. It was on mah desk with some other file disks from school, but we never covered hacking in computer lab."

As the Brotherhood's third-in-command, Lance had been looking over Rogue's shoulder as they went through the disk, wearing a slight frown that usually meant that he was working through a theory. "Wait. Rogue, do you remember that party the X-Men held a week or so back? The one where Arcade had the X-Mansion trying to kill us?"

Rogue nodded. "Ah'm not about to forget that in a hurry, but what does it have to do with… Oh."

Mystique looked back and forth between the two teens, and sighed. "For those of us who were not there, could one of you explain this great revelation? And who is Arcade?"

Rogue looked slightly embarrassed. "Sorry Mama. Arcade is a kid from school, big on computer games. He somehow managed to locate Cerebro during a party at the Institute, and set off all of the mansion's defenses, under the impression that it was one huge computer game. Before everything went to hell, he told me he had found a game room and asked if Ah wanted to check it out, and showed me a disk of games he had downloaded."

Mystique tried and failed to stop herself from snickering. "Xavier's famous security and safeguards, broken by a schoolboy." Rising to her feet and picking up the original disk, Mystique hugged her daughter. "I'll see if I can find anything besides profiles on this disk; you see if you can find a way to incorporate this into your daily training. Good luck."

Rogue nodded in agreement. "Good luck, Mama. Come on, Lance; let's see what we can do with our current set up."

* * *

Rogue didn't know the details of the long-awaited reunion between Pietro and Wanda, and doubted that anyone, besides the twins themselves, ever would. That was fine, though: Some things just weren't meant to be shared knowledge. Whatever had happened, it seemed to have brought the silver-haired boy some kind of peace, and Rogue was more than content with that, to the extent of outright threatening to evict Tabitha if she continued to nag Pietro about it.

Now, Pietro and Rogue were visiting Wanda again, and the trio was currently swapping ideas to get Wanda out. "Well, Xavier is my 'therapist', for lack of a better term. He says that I need to learn to control my anger before he can get me released. Any ideas?"

Pietro shot Rogue a look. "You needed to control your emotions before you could control your powers, Rogue. How did you do it?"

Rogue shrugged. "Meditation, as trite as it sounds. I can teach you, but it takes a lot of practice, and I don't know how long. Even after that, ya still have ta convince Xavier to let you out."

Wanda gave them both an ironic smirk. "I've got almost nothing but time, and Xavier promised that he would get me out as soon as he could. He won't break that. Could you bring me some kind of Home-school study material next time you visit, though? I don't want to get out of here and have the academic ability of an eight-year-old."

Pietro nodded. "I'll let you ladies keep talking and go get some of the books now now. Try not to miss me too much."

The silver-haired mutant disappeared, and Wanda sighed, shaking her head. "Well, it's good to know that some things never change. Back on topic, how are we going to handle things when I get out? I mean, it's not like the X-Men are just going to hand me over to the Brotherhood."

Wanda did have a point, but there were ways around that. "Xavier is big on free will, or he wouldn't have let me go back to the Brotherhood after that Mastermind incident. I don't know if that will happen this time, but even if you do get stuck with the X-Men, he can't forbid you from making friends, or from spending time with your only family."

Wanda smiled, "Or he just wanted to keep his mansion in one piece. I don't think you or the rest of the Brotherhood would take well to you being kept there."

Rogue laughed in agreement, and the conversation retreated to more general topics. Pietro returned a few minutes later with a pile of books and the three teens settled down, with Rogue talking Wanda through the basics of meditation, and Pietro skimming through the school books.

* * *

Mr. McCoy, the only gym teacher Rogue had ever actually liked, had been taken sick earlier that day. According to Kurt, who had been in said teacher's class at the time, Mr. McCoy had looked like he was having some kind of heart attack, somehow made his way to the door, and hadn't been heard from since.

While this was interesting information, and certainly to be looked into, it didn't really affect Rogue. Or at least, it hadn't until she got to gym class and discovered that their old coach had been called in as a substitute at the last minute. As he had no lesson plans to work off, Principal Kelly had told the old coach to just give the students a self-defense lesson. Which led to the current situation.  
The gym coach stalked up and down in front of the row of students, all of whom were standing to attention. Rogue was unpleasantly reminded of Camp Ironback the last school year. "All right, everyone, with all the gang activity going on, the School Board seems to think that you all need to learn self defense. Girls, today you are going to learn how to defend yourselves against a bigger and stronger opponent. Any questions?"

As a fact, there was really no more gang activity than usual, but Rogue supposed that the coach had to come up with some kind of reasoning. From her perspective, however, the class was still laughable. Rogue had been trained by Mystique from a young age, and unless the opponent in question was Juggernaught, Rogue hardly thought _she_ would be the one in danger from any would-be attacker. They would be better off fearing her. A smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth, she raised her hand. "Coach, what about the boys? Do they get to defend themselves against us?"

The coach glared at her as several of Rogue's classmates giggled. "Cute, Miss Darkholme, very cute. Just for that, you can demonstrate for us. If you do well, I'll let you go up against a few at a time."

Rogue cackled to herself; this was going to make a very amusing story to tell Wanda next time she visited. Further along the line, the Brotherhood Boys seemed to be torn between anticipation and apprehension over the upcoming match. The coach continued bellowing orders as he paired the students up. "Darkholme, Matthews, up front and center."

Rogue had planned to go easy on the star of the football team, if only because she didn't want to put up with Jean Grey complaining about her injured boyfriend. When Duncan grabbed her from behind, then grabbed her rear, unfortunately, instinct took over. An elbow to the gut drove the air out of him, and her heel slamming onto the bridge of his foot loosened his grip enough for Rogue to flip him over her body to land hard on the gym floor. Two steps forward, a half twist and a stamp and her heel froze millimeters above his groin, theoretically a temporarily crippling move. "That good enough for ya, Coach?"

The students who had been on the receiving end of Duncan's bullying before let out a noisy cheer. Those who had tried to pick on Rogue in the past paled slightly. One of the new X-Men, Rahne, looked interested.

* * *

Sent out of the gym by the annoyed coach, who was muttering about cheek and showing off, Rogue sighed as she made for the changing rooms. Of all the times for Mr. McCoy to get sick, it had to - … Wait, was Spyke actually reciting Shakespeare over by the trees?

Deciding that she really didn't want to know, and that Kurt would probably tell her if it was really important, Rogue sighed again and headed for her locker. Gym was the last class of the day, and if she just went home, she could make up for the missed class with a nice quiet work out of her own before the others got back.

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A/N: Sorry it took a while to get this chapter up, and that it's so short. I just really couldn't find anything to do with the 'Beast of Bayville' episode, so I'm afraid you'll have to wait for the next chapter, which will be longer and have more detail.

_Meanwhile, tell me what you think in a review. Constructive criticism is welcome, and flames will be laughed at and used to roast repairmen who can't just do things right the first time. (They claim to have fixed my oven, and then it breaks down again the next day! I am getting seriously sick of microwave food and take-out)_

_Oh, and I have a Chronicles of Narnia story going, titled A Change of Course. Please take a few moments to check it out and tell me what you think._

_Thanks,  
__Nat._


	17. Chapter Fifteen

_Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men: Evolution. Deal with it.  
__Summary: See previous chapters.  
_

_A/N: In relation to the Christmas season in this episode, this chapter is dedicated to my identical twin, Sally, who drowned on Boxing Day, 2005._

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen**

The Brotherhood had somehow convinced Rogue to let them come along when she visited Mystique and Irene in New York for Christmas. Spacious as the penthouse was, it sadly wasn't quite big enough for all of them, so the boys and Tabitha were staying in a nearby hotel.

Rogue hadn't been this excited about Christmas gifts, even if it was two more days until the day itself, since she was five, and spending her first Holiday with Mystique and Irene. That year, she had given the two women a picture that she had carefully drawn, depicting all three of them as a family. Mystique had actually cried upon seeing it.

Hearing Mystique and Irene heading down for breakfast, Rogue decided that now was as good a time as any, mentally thanked Agatha once again, and entered the kitchen. Trying to act naturally, Rogue hugged her mother and kissed her on the cheek. "Good morning, Mama."

She sat down and started counting, waiting for her actions to sink in. "Good morn – _**Rogue!**_"

Mystique's stern face broke into a brilliant smile and she pulled her daughter into her arms. "Oh, darling. You did it! My precious, wonderful girl!"

Rogue smiled self-consciously. "I still have to concentrate with people I'm not biologically related to, but it's a start."

Kurt was unavailable to test the biological relation theory, as he was sharing Christmas with his adopted family, but he would be coming back for New Year, and Rogue could surprise him then.

Pietro was also absent, having zoomed off to spend visiting hours with Wanda. Sadly,non-family members were not allowed to visit during the week around Christmas, so the rest of the Brotherhood sent a card and a gift, and told Pietro to meet up with them later. Toad had come up with the idea for a gift, suggesting that Wanda might like something to keep her company when they couldn't visit. The end result was a set of cloth figures in the shape of the Brotherhood. Todd had also crafted a seventh doll, adding a long red coat and a red witch's hat, after Wanda's pre-chosen code name of Scarlet Witch.

* * *

For the umpteenth time, Mystique could be heard muttering darkly that Magneto had the worst sense of timing, and she wondered if he did it on purpose, choosing the most inconvenient time possible to demand that she do something that could easily be put off until later. Either way, he demanded to meet with her about something within the hour, which meant that the Brotherhood was enjoying themselves wandering around New York.

Right now, they were hanging around the ice rink, something of a novelty for the Southern-raised Brotherhood girl, everyone laughing as Lance tried to teach Todd and Fred to skate. Fred could be surprisingly graceful when he wanted, but now was not one of those times, and he quickly begged off, preferring to watch.

Tabitha had wandered off into a nearby shop, and Rogue had just started a short break on the sidelines, when she saw the 'Angel of New York' flying past, apparently in something of a hurry. Wondering what had him so worked up, Rogue made sure her communicator was on and followed.

* * *

Amusingly enough, the Angel had gone straight for a church. Entering behind him, Rogue sat down on a nearby pew. "Y'all look upset. What's got you so down on Christmas Eve?"

The Angel stood up quickly, startled by her voice. Rogue ducked under a wing as he spun around, knocking a stack of bibles off a table. He looked like he was about to take to the air again, and Rogue hurried to reassure him. "It's alrahght, Ah'm not here to hurt ya. Ah just wondered what had you so upset."

The winged mutant seemed to struggle with himself for a moment, then finally spoke. "Everyone was calling me an angel, and I thought I might actually be able to help people, but I was wrong. I accidentally knocked a child off the bridge, and now she's in the intensive care unit at New York General."

Rogue tilted her head to the side. "Did ya do it on purpose?" She smirked at his expression of indignant disbelief. "Ah'll take that as a 'no'. But if ya didn't mean to, then ya don't have to feel guilty about it."

This finally managed to coax a faint smile out of him. "Wise words, but you'll forgive me if I have trouble with it. Oh, I'm being rude, my name is Warren Worthington. Now what is a Southern girl like you doing in snowy New York?"

Rogue smiled back. Polite and cute! "Mah name is Rogue Darkholme. Mah Aunt Irene lives here, and the rest of mah family is visiting her for the holidays. Hopefully the boys haven't landed themselves in too much trouble without me there to watch them."

As though she'd jinxed herself, Rogue's phone chose that moment to go off. Looking at the Caller ID, she could see that it was Lance. Scowling and muttering darkly to herself, Rogue opened the phone, putting it on speaker. "What did y'all do this time?"

There was a faintly sheepish pause. "Fred was getting lunch from a vendor, but them we found out that Pietro had borrowed his wallet before he left to visit Wanda, and Boom-Boom is refusing to lend us any, even if she did have enough to cover it. The vendor is threatening to call the cops, and you've got the extra cash."

Rogue barely held back a curse. She was in a church, after all. "Ah'm a little pre-occupied here. Is there a reason you couldn't contact Mama, instead?"

Another pause. "You are less likely to give us Hell for it? Come on, Rogue, it won't take long. We even promise not to bother you for the rest of the holidays?"

Rogue sighed and stood up. "Ah'll settle for a week, and Pietro owes me a fortnight's chores. Y'all are still at the Skating Rink?"

At Lance's confirmation, Rogue stood up, "Ah'm sorry to run off lahke this, but it shouldn't take long. Do you have anywhere else do be in the near future?"

Warren gave her another faint smile. "Not really. I'll probably be here until evening Mass, at least. See you soon?"

Rogue nodded, "As soon as Ah can get back." Accessing Pietro's powers, she took off.

* * *

It only took a minute to get back to Central Park, but it took an extra three to actually find the rest of the Brotherhood. Finally locating them on the opposite side of the park from where she had left them, Rogue arrived just in time to hear Lance trying to placate the vendor. "Look, just give us a minute and our sister will be here with the money. Calm down."

The vendor scowled at him. "Look, Punk, I'm not buying it. Either you pay up now, or I'll –"

Rogue thankfully chose this moment to interrupt. "Hey, Lance. Did you guys forget your wallet again?"

Lance shot her a look of barely concealed gratitude. "Yeah. Do you think you can lend us the cash until we get back to the hotel?"

Biting back a retort that she might have later regretted, Rogue wordlessly paid the vendor, and then dragged the Brotherhood off. Settling down an acceptable distance away, Rogue pinned them with a glare. "Right. Next tahme, check that ya have the money before ya buy." Her glare darkened as she turned to the other Brotherhood girl. "As for you, Tabitha, if you want to be part of the Brotherhood, start acting lahke it! Even if ya don't have enough money to help, ya don't go making things worse with smart remarks, even if ya were being sarcastic!"

Tabitha glared right back, even as the others tried to pretend they were invisible. "No one got hurt, Rogue, and I was just joking! What's got your shorts in a bunch, anyway? Did you wander off and find a cute boy to hang out with? Someone lonely on Christmas Eve?"

Fed up with Tabitha's flippant attitude, and sick of her constant insinuations about Rogue and boys, Rogue scowled at the other girl. "No one got hurt this tahme, ya mean. As to what Ah was doing, yes, I did find a cute boy. Ah left him back at the Lady of Grace church, and if you don't mind, Ah'd like to get back."

Taking advantage of the Brotherhood's stunned shock, Rogue sped off. She wanted to finish her conversation with Warren before they got over the surprise and followed her.

* * *

Rogue arrived back at the church just in time to see a very unwelcome sight. It seemed that Magneto was up to his old recruitment methods, and was in the middle of trying to 'forcefully persuade' Angel to join his side. In this case, Magneto's version of 'persuade' seemed to involve tying the would-be recruit up with a chandelier chain and magnetically dragging him off. Borrowing Cyclops's powers, Rogue hit the metallically-inclined mutant with a blast of red energy, gaining his attention. It took a few moments for Magneto to recognize her, but then recognition quickly shifted to anger. "You! Didn't you learn your lesson about defying me? I wouldn't want to explain to Mystique why she is suddenly missing a daughter."

Rogue smirked. "Ya mean it didn't get through to ya the last few tahmes ya nearly cost Mama her child? Let Angel go."

Magneto used his powers to lift two pedestals, a candlestick and a podium into the air, throwing them at her just as the rest of the Brotherhood appeared. Blob jumped in front of her and Angel, the missiles bouncing off him as Tabitha created a small bomb to break Angel out of the chains. "Hi there, cutie."

To his credit, Angel only gave her a disbelieving look. Going on the offense, Toad leaped high into the air, tongue wrapping around Magneto's ankle. It would have worked, had Avalanche not grabbed Toad's legs, yanking him back down as Cyclops and Beast of the X-Men ran in, Cyclops sending another blast at Magneto, knocking him to the ground. Seizing her chance as Magneto tried to regain his bearings; Rogue pulled off a glove and slipped her hand underneath Magneto's helmet, draining his powers.

The older mutant threw her off, sending Rogue crashing into the pews. Picking herself up, Rogue took a perverse pleasure in seeing Magneto wobble slightly as he flew off. Tapping into his powers, she lifted into the air and sped off after him.

* * *

Using a magnetic field to keep her in the air, Rogue chased Magneto across New York. They had just reached the not-so-nice part when Magneto got tired of her nearing presence and yanked several large metal crates into the air, blocking Rogue's path.

On a collision course, and too close to dodge, Rogue focused Magneto's powers and shoved the crates away from her. It had done the trick, however: Magneto was nowhere to be seen. Touching down on a large clock tower, Rogue took the opportunity to look around.

Seeing nothing, she cautiously floated over to the next building, just in time to see Magneto reappear from behind a large gargoyle. Before Rogue could collect herself and fight, Magneto hit her with a magnetic pulse, sending the girl flying into a nearby corporate building.

She hit the logo on the front of the building, catching herself, but then unable to do anything except watch in horror as Magneto threw the gargoyle at her. Rogue ducked at the last minute, but the gargoyle smashed into the side of the building, breaking several huge chunks out of the building. One of the chunks hit Rogue, knocking her out of the sky, and she screamed as she fell down to the ground, too dazed to tap into any of her absorbed powers to save herself.

The hard pavement grew closer and closer, and Rogue closed her eyes. Seconds before she hit, however, she felt strong arms around her and the beat of wings as she rose back into the sky. Opening her eyes, she saw Angel's concerned face as he carried her back toward the church. Letting out a sigh of pure relief, Rogue wrapped her arms around Warren's neck. Just for balance, naturally. "Ah think you really are an angel."

* * *

Rogue had received a slight concussion facing off against Magneto and the Brotherhood insisted that she get it checked out. Whether this was out of grave concern for Rogue or self-preservation from Mystique's wrath was still in question, but Rogue had finally given in, if only to shut them up.

At the hospital, they had run into Scott and Beast again, as they tried to convince Angel to join up with the X-Men. "No, we're nothing like Magneto. He's on a total power trip."

Surprisingly enough, Lance agreed. "Yeah. Magneto thinks that mutants are destined to rule over the inferior humans with him as supreme leader. Xavier thinks that mutants should pretend that we aren't gifted and hide who we are."

Warren's head snapped towards the Brotherhood and he stood up to speak with them. "What are you doing here? Rogue said she was fine when I left her with you. Is she hurt?"

Lance was about to reply when a gust of wind burst through the hospital, stopping to reveal a breathless Pietro. "Destiny had a vision. They're on the way."

Precisely who 'they' were, and why this statement caused the entire Brotherhood to cringe, was clarified a few moments later. There was the sound of running footsteps and the small group was nearly knocked over by a tall blonde woman as she hurried to the nurse's station. Seeing a second, dark-haired woman with shaded glasses and a cane approaching after her, the Brotherhood boys paled slightly. "Oh, Crap."

Pietro gulped and hid behind Fred, only seconds behind Todd, who had apparently had the same idea. Seeing the blonde woman headed back toward them, and knowing that he would get no help from his team mates, Lance sighed. "I think Rogue may have been right about the downsides of having a pre-cog guardian. I really wanted a chance to break it to Boss Lady gently."

Angel and the X-Men just looked confused. The Brotherhood winced as Irene managed to look straight at them, and then turned her sightless face toward a returning Mystique, who answered the unspoken question. "They say it's nothing to be concerned about, and Rogue should be out in a few minutes."

Destiny smiled at the expressions of relief and went over to fill out the paperwork. "I told you it was nothing life-threatening, Raven. Besides, you know that Rogue can always draw on Victor's healing if she needs to."

Giving the blind woman a nod of acknowledgment, Mystique turned toward the Brotherhood. Her now very stern expression did nothing to reassure them. "Would any of you like to explain just why and how Rogue came to be injured in the first place?" The Brotherhood glanced at each other. Mystique scowled. "That wasn't a question, by the way."

While the Brotherhood tried to come up with an answer that wouldn't land them on the receiving end of protective maternal wrath, Angel spoke up. "I was attacked by a mutant called Magneto. He asked me to join him and nearly killed me when I turned him down. Rogue probably saved my life, but she was knocked out by a piece of metal."

Todd chose this as a good time to come out of hiding. "Yeah, you should have seen it, Boss-Lady. She absorbed Magneto and flew after him, all over New York sky. Then Magneto hit her with some kind of pulse and threw this huge chunk of metal at her and it hit the building he threw her against. Angel caught her before she hit the ground, but – mmph!"

Lance had been paying more attention to Mystique's growing expression of horror and fury than Toad had, and frantically signaled for Pietro to gag him. Mystique's voice was chillingly calm. "Let me see if I have this straight. Magneto attacked Rogue and eventually blew her out of the sky, resulting in a head injury that warranted a hospital check-up, and none of you thought to inform me?"

Fortunately for the Brotherhood, they were saved by Rogue's appearance. "Ah'm fahne, Mama. It was just a knock on the head, and Ah've had worse when Ah was racing Cody up that Willow tree near the river. Oh, hi Warren."

Angel smiled at her in greeting, but any reply was cut off as a nurse approached a nearby couple. "Haley's awake, and she's going to be all right. You can see her now."

Warren wordlessly touched Rogue's arm in thanks, and followed the nurse and couple at a short distance. Boom-Boom stared after him, looked like she was verging on outright disgust. "Great. Hot, polite _and_ rich, and the guy is all over Rogue. Oh, well, I'll just be there to console him when he finds out he'll never get past holding hands."

Rogue coolly ignored the other girl's words, but brushed against her as she walked past, draining a tiny amount of Boom-Boom's powers, and slipped a cherry bomb into her pocket. Hearing Tabitha shriek as it went off and get scolded by the receptionist and three doctors for making a commotion, Rogue hid a smirk as she left the remaining Brotherhood to wither under Mystique's glare and continued lecture, and walked over to where Warren was watching a patient.

Warren was looking through the window at the little girl he had saved, who was now being joyfully embraced by her parents. He looked over at Rogue as she came to stand beside him. "I'll be fine, and they're letting Haley go home after a last check-up. How are you feeling?"

Rogue shrugged, deliberately misunderstanding him. "Ah may start toward murderous rage if Ah get accosted bah one more street-prophet shrieking about repentance, but otherwise, Ah'll save mah anger for Magneto."

Warren laughed at that, letting the subject drop. "Thanks Rogue. It's nice to know that there are other mutants out there, and that not all of them want me to join a 'higher cause'.

Rogue smiled in return. "They trahed ta recruit me too, once, but Ah wouldn't giveup Mama and the boys for anything, even if they do drive me up the wall sometimes." Rogue's face turned serious for a moment, "If ya ever need someone to talk to, though, just call. Not trahing ta recruit ya doesn't mean that we couldn't both use a friend."

Warren smiled back. "I'd like that. Hey, can I see you again before you go back to Bayville?"

Rogue nodded. "Aunt Irene lives in the Penthouse building just west of Central Park, and if Ah'm not there, she'll be able to tell ya. Ah'll see you then."

A last grin and Angel left, leaving Rogue to gaze after the winged mutant, a soft smile still gracing her lips. Suddenly, a not-very-nice thought dawned, and Rogue's smile slowly melted into a thoughtful and vindictive smirk as she walked over to Mystique and the Brotherhood. "Mama, do classy hotels take bank cheques?"

Mystique looked momentarily puzzled by the question. "I think so, why do you ask?"

Rogue's expression was now one of artfully contrived innocence that fooled no one. "No reason. Just that when I absorbed Magneto I got a flash of his personal Swiss bank account number. It would be nice to stay somewhere lavish, and Magneto will have a hard time stirring up trouble with no resources, wouldn't he?"

Mystique burst out laughing and hugged her daughter. "Let's go pick somewhere, shall we?"

The Brotherhood exchanged pleased looks as Toad hopped after the two women. "Ooh, ooh! Can we have somewhere with room service? What about a Hilton, or the Ritz?"

Faintly surprised that Toad even knew the names of the Higher Class hotels, the rest of the Brotherhood followed after them. And they had been hoping for a quiet Christmas!

* * *

Rogue prided herself on being very difficult to surprise, but still blinked in shock when she opened the door two afternoons after Christmas to see Warren standing outside the door, hand poised to knock. "Angel! What are you doing here?"

The winged mutant looked slightly shy. "Um, if you aren't busy, I was wondering if you'd like to go for a walk with me? Just to talk."

Rogue smiled at him. "Come in while I grab my coat and tell someone."

A few minutes later saw them walking through Central Park. "I always thought I was the only one like this, I mean, with powers and everything. My parents freaked when they found out, though I can't really blame them. I mean, what do you say when your eight-year-old son suddenly grows wings and flies around the living room crashing into furniture?"

Rogue smiled. "Count yourself lucky. Mama is a shape shifter whose natural form is blue skin and golden eyes. My brother has blue fur, yellow eyes, tri-fingered hands and a tail. We had an overly religious mob after us before we were three weeks old. That's not even going into our powers."

Warren inclined his head. "OK, you win that point. What are your powers, anyway? You never mentioned it."

Rogue looked over at the setting sun as she spoke. "Ah can absorb people. One touch, and Ah get everything; their energy, their abilities, even their memories. Ah've found mahself looking at a girl Ah loathe and thinking how Ah've liked her since we were kids, even though Ah never even met her until about a year ago. Ah've woken up screaming from nightmares of POW camps in World War II, or being chased by a mob as Ah tried to get my two children to safety. If Ah wanted, Ah could grow mah own wings just by touching you with mah bare hands. Ah could know everything about you, rahght down to if you were scared of bunny rabbits or if you had a favorite toy as a kid. Ah'm learning control, so Ah can absorb only a person's abilities, but its very lonely when people treat you like some kind of vampire, and jerk away when you get too close."

Now this was just getting depressing. Warren thought for a few moments, and then stood up, tugging off a glove. Rogue looked confused as Warren extended a bare hand to her. "Want to go for a fly? I can teach you."

To fly with actual wings! Who hadn't dreamed of such a thing, at least once in their life? Rogue smiled, pulling off one of her own gloves and taking Warren's hand, draining a small amount of his powers and the knowledge of how to use them. Feeling wings starting to grow on her back, Rogue shrugged off her jacket. A slight flex of her shoulders and the wings spread. Pulling her glove back on (it was winter, after all) Rogue took Warren's hand and followed him into the sky.

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A/N: OK, the next chapter is up much quicker than anticipated, and I hope it makes up for the last (short) one. Now, if everyone could take a few more sevonds to review that would be great. Constructive criticism is appreciated, because as much as 'great chapter, update soon' swells my ego, i like hearing about any mistakes I've made. Flames are laughed at and calmly ignored.  
BTW, if anyone is interested in C.S. Lewis, could you tell me what you think of my newest fic?

_Thanks,  
__Nat._


	18. Chapter Sixteen: A New Year Interlude

_Disclaimer: Not mine.  
Summary: See previous chapters._

_A/N: A few people have been asking to see New Year, so while this is not a proper chapter, just a very short interlude, I wrote it anyway. Besides, I don't think anyone was too keen on waiting another five months until it was actually New Year._

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**Chapter Sixteen: A New Year.**

Waiting at the airport, Rogue could barely restrain herself from bouncing in excitement. She couldn't wait to see Kurt's face when he found out that Rogue could finally touch people again. Watching the passengers exiting the Customs area, Rogue spotted Kurt and waved him over.

If anything, the Christmas season and approaching New Year seemed to have made Kurt even more cheerfully energetic than usual. Mystique was greeted with an enthusiastic hug, finally releasing the hologram-disguised boy and letting him greet Rogue.

Kurt trying to hug Rogue had become almost a game between the two siblings, Kurt trying to shower his sister with affection and Rogue carefully trying to avoid physical contact. Therefore, it was something of a surprise to the younger blue mutant when Rogue not only hugged him back, but went so far to press her bare cheek against his. Not feeling even a trace of dizziness, it didn't take Kurt long to work out that Rogue had control, and even less time before he pulled her into a crazy celebration dance all over the lobby, miraculously avoiding knocking anyone over.

Eventually calming her brother down, Rogue dragged him back to where Mystique was looking amused and the rest of the Brotherhood was trying to pretend that they didn't know them. Avoiding Pietro's glare, Kurt picked up his bag from where he had dropped it on the speed-demon's foot and wrapped an arm around Rogue's waist as they headed out to the rental van. "So, anything interesting happen vhile I vas away?"

Fred pulled a face. "We ran into Magneto again. Rogue kicked his butt."

Tabitha frowned. "And got herself a boyfriend in the bargain. Some people have all the luck."

Rogue glared over her brother's shoulder. "Not all of us have to throw ourselves at people to get their attention, Smith. Luck has nothing to do with it. Besahdes, Warren isn't mah boyfriend."

Tabitha's reply was cut off by Kurt. "Boyfriend? Who dares to look at mein Schwester in such a fashion? He will not touch you!"

The Brotherhood boys snickered, having said much the same thing themselves over the past few days, albeit in a slightly less dramatic manner. Rogue rolled her eyes, tossing Kurt's bag into the trunk of the van and pushing her brother into the back seat. "A mutant with the looks of an Angel, fuzzy. And Ah am hardly the one in danger if he trahs anything Ah don't lahke."

Kurt frowned. "But –"

Rogue scowled. "Ah've already told everyone else, so now you're included: Anything that happens between me and Warren is mah business, and Ah'll thank y'all to stay out of it. End of story."

Kurt pouted. "Only for you mein Schwester. I promise to meet him before I hate him on principle."

Rogue valiantly held back a giggle. "Thanks. I asked him to come for New Year, anyway, since his family is out of town."

* * *

New Years parties are always chaotic, but they get even worse when mutant powers are entered into the equation.

Warren had joined them and somehow struck a tentative truce with Kurt. Busy stopping Boom-Boom from spiking anything on the munchies table, Rogue had missed the details, but as long as no one was hurt, she was fine.

As the countdown to the New Year began, Rogue could hear the crowd in Central Park yelling with the clock. Seeing Todd hop onto the table, probably just so he could jump off it in celebration, Rogue saw Tabitha rubbing her hands together and sent her a threatening glare. Fireworks stayed outside, and she didn't want a multitude of cherry bombs blowing up all over the place.

Angel came up behind her as the crowd reached "THREE!" and she turned to face him. Fireworks exploded outside, matching the ones in Rogue's stomach as Angel leaned down and kissed her.

Slowly parting, Rogue smiled. Her family was back together, she could touch people again, and something was definitely in the air with Warren. A happy New Year and New Beginnings, indeed.

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A/N: Yes, it is short, but I warned you, and it was only meant to be a filler. Anyway, an Interlude chapter is up, and I hope you liked it. Even if you didn't like it, take ten seconds to tell me in a review. Constructive criticism is especially appreciated, and flames are laughed at.

_A/N: I know people will say that Kurt's reaction to the Rogue/Warren possibility was extreme, but I'm basing his attitude on that of my cousin, who glares at any non-related male who even looks at me when we get together with my aunt and uncle. Since my little sister always has something 'better' to do, my cousin seems to have decided to be extra-protective of me. Given that my cousin is nearly seven feet tall and built like a linebacker, this has had something of an annoying impact on my love-life._


	19. Chapter Seventeen

_Disclaimer: Not mine.  
Summary: See previous chapters_

_A/N: Unlike previous chapters, this is going to be mostly Lance's POV, though there will be some Rogue._

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Chapter Seventeen.

Lance walked up to the gates of the Xavier Institute, and then stopped outside. At first glance, most people would think that he was deciding the best way to get in. That was a fact on his mind, but not the main reason for pausing. How would the Brotherhood react when they found out what he had done?  
Rogue seldom took things at face value, and would probably wait to talk to him in person before she jumped to conclusions and ripped his throat out, but how would the others take it? All of them, Lance included, had abandonment issues, except possibly Rogue, who had Mystique and Destiny. Would they see this as just another Betrayal? Would they be mad that he had seemingly just up and left? Would they understand why he did it?

Well, as Rogue would say; "Could, Should, Would and Might don't matter. Focus on what Is."

Lance wanted to be close to Kitty, and if proving himself as an X-Man was the only way, then fine. Besides, the X-Men and Brotherhood were currently on decent terms, so it wasn't like he'd never see them again. Also, anywhere that Boom-Boom _wasn't_ had to be a good thing, right? Rogue/Tabitha confrontations were entertaining, but starting to get out of control and best watched from a distance.

Taking a deep breath, Lance extended a hand and focused on the Institute gates. The earth shook and the gates crashed down. The outer defenses received the same treatment as Lance walked up to the doors, to be greeted by X-Men in pajamas. It might not be the politest greeting Lance had ever given, but it certainly got their attention. "I'm here to join the X-Men."

It was a pity he didn't have a camera; Lance knew several people who would pay for the look on the X-Men's faces.

* * *

A few minutes later, most of the X-Men had gone back to bed, the more violence-inclined reactions had been temporarily forestalled by Professor X, and Lance was in said Professor's study, being questioned. "So, tell us, Lance, why do you want to join the X-Men?"

OK, Lance could understand the suspicion, but did they _really_ have to sound so condescending? Kitty, at least, only sounded curious. "Yeah, don't you like living with the Brotherhood any more?"

Lance raised an eyebrow at his girlfriend. "Most of them are great."

There was a barely perceptible narrowing of eyes from Cyclops, but the X-Men team leader brushed it aside. "What are you up to, Lance? You didn't bust in here just to make jokes."

Lance wasn't about to admit that he was scared of being in the same general area the next time Tabby pissed Rogue off, nor did he think Scott would accept that he wanted to be closer to Kitty. "I – let's just say it was time for a change, okay?"

A tickle in the back of his mind suggested that the Professor was telepathically checking his sincerity, and must have found it acceptable, because he relaxed in his wheelchair. "Fair enough. Why don't we give it a try?"

Lance stood up from the couch and leaned over to shake hands, trying not to laugh and the mixed expressions of shock and horror from Wolverine, Jean Grey and the short outburst from Cyclops, who obviously wasn't going to take this well. Fortunately, the X-Man was smoothly cut off by the Professor. "Kitty, would you show Lance to one of the guest rooms?"

Kitty pushed herself up from the arm of the couch and led Lance out of the room. She phased through the door, leaving him standing for a moment, before she reached back, one arm, her head and most of her upper body gliding out of the door to grab his arm. "Just kidding."

She phased them both back through the door, barely making it through before Lance heard an explosion of protests from those still inside the study. He decided to ignore them as Kitty pretended to play the part of a posh hostess. "Here you are, sir. I'm sorry that there are no mints on your pillow, but I believe you'll find some gum under the chair."

Given the New Recruits, he didn't doubt it Lance grinned at Kitty as he surveyed his new room. It was definitely larger than his one at the Boarding House, but also a bit too fancy for his taste. "Hey, not bad. Of course I'll have to mess it up a bit before it feels like home." He pulled out a draw from the dresser and dumped the contents of his bag in it. "There. All unpacked."

Kitty hid a giggle of her own, "Well, then, welcome to Mutant Manor. Breakfast is at seven." She was about to close the door, but paused and looked back at him, dropping the playact. "Lance, look, I think it's cool that you want to be an X-Man, really, but watch it. This place is no walk in the park, and the others aren't going to cut you any slack."

Oh, he definitely knew that. Honestly, Lance would be worried if they _did_ go easy on him. He didn't say so, however, and tried for a reassuring smile. "Come on, I can handle it. It can't be tougher than being in the same room as a Rogue/Tabitha confrontation."

That did earn a giggle, and a kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight, Lance."

* * *

The next morning, Lance was starting to think that maybe a fight between the two Brotherhood Babes, as a few of the New Recruits had called them, (Lance couldn't wait to see someone say that to Rogue's face) might not be so bad after all. His powers were directly connected to the earth, and as a result, he had never handled flying well. Now he was stuck in a flight simulator with the other New Recruits, with absolutely no confidence in the current driver as Cyclops ordered Iceman to 'take her up'. The younger boy's statement of "All right. Hang onto your lunches!" was in no way reassuring.

What followed was the plane going from zero miles per hour to a speed that would make Pietro jealous in a millisecond, followed by a jerky, barely-controlled flight that had even Cyclops on the brink of panic, and a spinning nose-dive that would have spelt 'DOOM' if it had been a real plane.

When the simulator finally settled down and everyone staggered off, Bobby/Iceman somehow managed to be excited about it, bouncing up to an unimpressed Wolverine. "Hey, were you watching? Did you see? This time it took me twice as long to crash and burn!"

Possibly the worst less-than-a-minute of Lance's life to date was _twice_ the ice-manipulator's best record? Lance had to support himself against the wall of the jet before he could actually walk. He took some comfort in hearing Wolverine tell Iceman off. "Yeah. Look, kid, that kind of hot-dogging ain't gonna cut it in a real battle. You gotta think before you start playing cowboy commando!"

By now, Lance managed to stagger out of the jet, groaning, to be met by a worried Kitty. "Lance! Are you okay?"

Lance managed a shaky grin at her as he tried to play it off. "Yeah, of course. I told you there was nothing to this X-Men stuff."

Kitty's smile said that she didn't buy it, but she let it go, turning to lead the way to breakfast. "Well, good."

Unfortunately, the thought of breakfast only made him feel worse, and Lance had to dash past the Professor to a nearby bathroom to throw up. How some people actually enjoyed flying, Lance would never know.

* * *

Maybe he should have chosen to join on a Monday. Since it was a weekend, and therefore no School, what was considered 'training' carried on after lunch. Fortunately, it wasn't nearly as bad as the flight simulator, and involved defending yourself against flying objects.

Watching the other recruits go first, Lance saw that they tended to react, focusing on the missiles themselves. Stepping up for his turn, Lance tried to ignore Cyclops, who was overseeing the exercise. "Hey, your new uniform looks a lot better than that fruit bowl you used to wear."

If this was Cyclops's attempt at reaching out, it was no wonder he had few friends outside the X-Men. Lance glared at him and focused on his powers. Since he was unable to hit something that was already in the air, Lance focused on the machines that threw the disks. The ground literally rippled as Lance extended his hands, wreaking the machines and causing the nearby targets to crumble.

For some reason, the other new recruits found this very impressive, and surrounded him with congratulations. Out of the corner of his eye, Lance could see Kitty trying to cover her amusement as Cyclops and Spyke, the latter of whom had been sent flying during the earthquake, glared at him.

Next had come the Danger Room, which everyone seemed to dread. Having faced the Room when it was under the control of a computer-game-obsessed nerd, Lance found the standard runs easy enough.

Even if he was convinced that Cyclops, up in the control tower, had thrown in that extra obstacle to knock him off his feet after the simulation was over.

* * *

Last (thankfully) for the day was a survival/search-and-rescue exercise, where four people pretended to be drowning in a pool and four others tried to save them. Privately, Lance thought that this was one area where the X-Men training wasn't so good; it just wasn't realistic when the 'victims' just floated there, waiting to be rescued. Throwing a life-ring into the pool, where it bounced off Spyke's head, Lance dove in, knocked into Cannonball, who zoomed out of control and out of the pool, and then came up beside Kitty, towing her to the side of the pool.

There, they were met by an annoyed Cyclops. "Wrong victim, Alvers! And you just drowned two people!"

This was punctuated by Cannonball crashing back into the pool, soaking Cyclops. Lance didn't quite manage to hide a smirk. "Yeah, but look who I rescued."

Spyke, who had 'drowned' when hit by the life-ring, pushed them both back into the pool. "Creep!"

Pulling himself out of the pool for the second time, Lance was met by Cannonball, who thankfully didn't carry a grudge. "So, did the Brotherhood ever do this kind of lifesaving?"

Lance back a smirk at the memory. Say what you would about Mystique, she at least encouraged realistic training methods. "Yeah. Rogue and Mystique dragged us all to the river, demonstrated a rescue, then pushed Rogue in and told us to save her. Boss-Lady liked to keep things realistic."

Iceman, who had been eavesdropping, looked horrified. "Didn't Jean say that Rogue was Mystique's daughter? Why would she do something like that?"

Lance rolled his eyes. "Rogue grew up by the Mississippi; she can swim like a fish. They both said it was a good example of how you need to be careful with lifesaving, because not all accidents take place in a pool, and not all victims are just going to float there and wait to be rescued, or be easy to tow back."

* * *

Back in the Brotherhood of Bayville Boarding House, Rogue read a note for the umpteenth time, then threw it into the nearby bin, rubbing her temples. The note had not actually stated it, but Rogue knew that her second in command and best friend had just wandered off to join the X-Men, leaving her behind to deal with hurt feelings and outrage at being abandoned.

Well, she could be furious about that later. Rogue had no illusions that Lance would not be back eventually; the senior X-Men, with one or two exceptions, would not accept him, no matter what he did to prove himself, and while he was unbelievably stubborn at times, Lance would not put up with it forever.  
Unfortunately, that same stubbornness meant that she couldn't tell when he would be back, so she needed to think of what to do in the meantime.

Issue One: The rest of the Brotherhood would not be settling down any time soon, and only a death threat should anything be smashed/broken/blown up had kept the Boarding House in one piece since they had found the note that morning.  
Rogue would just have to let them cool down on their own time.

Issue Two: Why had Lance left in the first place? The obvious reason was to be close to Kitty, but with the running truce with the X-Men, that could not be the only reason. It could be that the Boarding House was becoming increasingly dangerous, with Tabitha no longer even pretending to follow rules, and the resulting confrontations.  
Tomorrow was a school day, so she would corner Lance at some point and ask him then.

Issue Three: What to do about the whole mess? Rogue was not looking forward to telling her mother that she had lost a team mate, much less that she didn't even know the reasoning behind his departure.  
Again, she would need to get the rest of the story out of Lance before doing anything.

Flopping back on her bed, Rogue decided to think about it later; right now, she just needed to vent. Using Kurt's power to teleport to the not-too-far-away forest, Rogue tapped into Warren's power. A nice long fly should take her mind off things.

* * *

The next day was Monday, and laughing at how Cyclops's car had somehow been dented and covered in mud had resulted in Lance being dumped with the role of tour guide for Roberto, Sam and Bobby, now that their transfer papers had finally been processed, and was taking them to the Science Hall, accompanied by Rahne. He was also trying to answer a multitude of questions, not all school-related. "So, what's between you and Rogue, anyway."

Sam, usually a quiet person, was the one to ask the inevitable question. Lance wished that he had stayed quiet. Honestly, you date one girl and stay friends with another, and people assume that you're having some kind of two-timing threesome! "Rogue? She's like the bossy older sister I never had. Rules the house, tries to keep us more or less in line, and glares at us when we get overprotective."

Rahne spoke up. "Why would you do that? I mean, we have Gym together, and she dinnae seem the sort of lass to need protecting."

The self-defense Gym lesson would not be forgotten anytime soon, it seemed, and Lance had to bite back a snicker at the memory. Before Lance could elaborate on Rahne's question, however, another female voice, a very familiar one, broke in. "_She_ doesn't, but that never stopped them from trahing anyway. How's lahfe with the X-squad?"

Rogue had just walked up, Kurt beside her. Well, she wasn't glaring at him, and that was a good sign. "It's okay. Different from the Brotherhood, but not bad. How are things at the Boarding House?"

Rogue shrugged. "Pretty much the same. It's a lot quieter without you and Pietro arguing, and Boom-Boom keeps trahing to over-compensate. That girl is about three seconds away from getting thrown to the curb. Ah got a call from Mama, says she's going to come down for a visit just before Easter. Speaking of which, we need to sort out plans for then, if you're gonna be at Xavier's."

Lance winced at that thought. Mystique was occasionally strict, but she was also his legal guardian, and there were going to be fireworks when she found out about his change of teams, if she hadn'y already. "Roguey? Will you say something nice at my funeral? Fred can have my jeep."

Rogue actually laughed, patting his arm in mock-sympathy. "It won't be that bad. I don't suppose the X-Men would accept Tabitha as a consolation gift, would they?"

It was Lance's turn to shrug and be amused. "No idea, but something tells me no."

Rogue's reply was interrupted by the appearance of Tabitha and the rest of the Brotherhood. "Heya, Lance. Long time, no see."

Lance had a feeling that only Rogue's presence stopped Fred from using him to dent the lockers. "Yeah, where have you been, old buddy?"

Lance pushed Blob's hand off his shoulder, only to be confronted by Tabitha. "You know, Lance, we heard the craziest thing. Someone said that you were living with the geek squad."

Boom-Boom really had no concept of personal space. Lance stepped away from her, moving closer to Rogue, even though he knew that she wouldn't step in until he came up with an explanation. "Yeah, is that what they said?"

Toad was actually bouncing, and not in a good way. "I knew it! Mystique's gonna hand you your left arm when she gets back!"

Pietro jumped into the argument again. "You're becoming one of them, aren't you? You're becoming an X-Man."

Lance was getting fed up with this. "So what if I am?"

This was greeted with exclamations of surprise, horror and dismay. Lance pushed past them and started to walk off, trying to ignore whatever Tabitha might say next. "You're making a mistake, Lance. You'll never fit in with those guys, and their never gonna accept you."

This hit a bit too close to one of Lance's fears, and he spun around to retaliate. Luckily for all concerned, Rogue held up her hand to stop the impending fight. "All rahght, Lance, give it a trah. But when y'all are ready to come home, there'll always be a place for ya. See ya at lunch."

The Brotherhood departed, and Lance walked into his next class, sitting down next to Kitty, who gave him a concerned look. Today was not shaping up to be a good one.

* * *

If Lance had though Monday was bad, Tuesday was even worse. Waking up in the middle of the night to investigate a noise, which turned out to be Sam, Bobby, Jubilee and Jamie wandering around, then being able to get back to sleep was bad enough, but that was the least of it.

An early-morning session with Wolverine was no fun in the first place, but this one took place in a new and improved jet, which, according to Wolverine, could "Out-fly, out-run and out-fight anything on two wings. Well, that was good for the X-Jet, but Lance and flight just didn't mix well.

Fortunately, Wolverine refused to let them near it. Unfortunately, he decided on something 'a little smaller' and they walked down to the garage, only to discover the X-Van in worse shape than Scott's car the day before, and Cyclops had instantly blamed Lance, despite the complete lack of implication or evidence. Really, just because Lance had been amused at seeing Scott's treasured car yesterday was no reason to automatically suspect him with the X-Van!

At school, Rogue had obviously said something to make the Brotherhood back off, but it didn't stop them from watching him like hawks, which made for a very un-nerving experience. After school, Wolverine decided that if they couldn't use the X-Van, he would just put them through five levels of Hell in the Danger Room session, instead.

Just when he thought it couldn't get worse, he found out that Kitty had somehow managed to talk the adults into letting her cook. Lance loved the brunette X-Girl, certainly, but there was no denying that letting her near a kitchen was anything less than a disaster waiting to happen. Given that most of Bayville knew this, Lance suspected it to be some new form of sadistic torture from an irate Wolverine.

When Lance finally got to sleep that night, it seemed that he had barely closed his eyes before being shaken awake by Bobby, Jubilee and Sam. Resisting the urge to strangle them with their own entrails, as Rogue had frequently threatened the Brotherhood, he responded with a very eloquent "Huh? What?"

Jubilee looked entirely too perky for that hour of the early morning. "We're going on another Joyride. You wanna come? You're gonna get the blame anyway."

Lance shrugged her off. "Forget it! You've got me in enough trouble, now leave me alone!"

The troublemakers left, but not before Iceman made a last attempt. "Okay, your loss, but this time we're taking something else. Something bigger and faster."

For some reason, this sounded particularly ominous, but Lance's sleep-fogged brain refused to comprehend anything more complex than the desire to go back to sleep. Lance had barely started to relax again, however, when it hit him with all the subtlety of a guided missile and he bolted awake. "Bigger and faster? The X-Jet!"

* * *

OK, Lance was hopeless with anything that went more than ten feet off the ground, so he was clearly going to need help with this. That was the problem. He wasn't about to get the new recruits involved, but he also had no desire to get skewered by Wolverine for waking him up in the ungodly hours of the morning. Cyclops, Jean and Spyke didn't trust him, and he had it on good authority from Rogue that Kurt was impossible to wake up.

That left Kitty, who would hopefully believe him, and if he ran, her room was close enough that they stood a chance of getting to the hanger in time to stop the joy riders. Dressing in a hurry, he ran to Kitty's room, knocking as loudly as he dared. "Kitty, wake up!"

The door opened to reveal Kitty, looking as awake as he felt. "Huh? Lance? What are you doing here?"

At any other time, he would have appreciated seeing her in her pajamas, but right now there was no time. "Follow me."

They got to the hanger just in time to watch the jet start to take off. "Aw, man! Those stupid kids!"

Kitty looked shocked. "Kids? What kids?" Lance ducked under the railing and grabbed her hand. "Lance, what are you…?"

Lance didn't bother with a direct reply, jumping down and pulling her with him. "Start phasing!"

Luckily, she didn't question that, and they phased into the X-Jet just before it vanished into the runway tunnel. They had barely landed, however, when there was a screech of metal on metal from outside, and both of them went tumbling into the walls and there was a shriek from the cockpit, with Sam's voice shouting to get the doors open.

It seemed that Bobby was no better pilot in a real jet than he was in a flight simulator, and they were treated to another harrowing ride. By the time they managed to regain their feet, they could hear the sound of Jubilee's fireworks outside, accompanied by laughter. Bracing herself against the door, Kitty practically growled. "Oh, they are so in trouble! Take my hand."

Feeling ready to kill the troublemakers himself, Lance did as she instructed and Kitty phased them both through the door. Walking up behind the clueless trio, Kitty placed her hands on her hips and cleared her throat. It was actually kind of impressive, and it certainly made the New Recruits jump. To Lance's dismay, this meant that Jubilee lost control of her fireworks, one of which jumped to the control board, frying something that looked important.

It obviously was important, as the Jet promptly spun out of control, sending Kitty and Lance flying back into the unoccupied seats. Four of the five occupants frantically tried to find anything that worked, while Lance suddenly remembered just why he hated flying. Seconds after that, they received a hail from a military jet, informing them that they were flying in restricted airspace.

Then, things somehow managed to get even worse. An attempt to radio the military planes and smooth things over accidentally released a missile, causing them to target the X-Jet as 'hostile' and retaliate. Jubilee's fireworks managed to divert the heat-seeking missiles, but attempts to fix the Jet's fried systems only resulted in the propulsion being cut and plummeting out of the sky.

An ice-slide from Bobby got them out of immediate danger, but they were still being pursued by the military. The engines kicked back in, but that was little comfort as they tried to weave between the mountains that they had reached. Lance managed to cause a rockslide that made the fighter jets pull up, but didn't stop the missiles that had been fired at them again. Lance was trying to remember the words of a prayer amid Bobby's panic at being unable to lose them when Kitty ordered him to aim the X-Jet at a nearby mesa.

Just how Kitty planed to phase the entire jet, Lance had no idea, but he hoped she could do it. Luckily, she could, then promptly collapsed into Lance's arms, giving a tired smile at his obvious concern. Settling back into a seat, still holding Kitty, Lance just hoped that they made it back to the mansion in one piece.

* * *

Surprisingly enough, they did make it back in one piece, only to be greeted by a shocked Professor X, a stunned Wolverine, and a furious Cyclops, who wasted no time in rounding on Lance. "Alvers! You took it on another joyride, didn't you?"

Kitty scowled and was about to leap to his defense, but Lance cut her off. He was going to be blamed anyway, and there was no use in both of them getting in trouble. "Yeah, I did it. So?"

If Cyclops's glasses hadn't blocked his powers, Lance would have blasted through a wall. "I knew it!"

Lance had had just about enough, and one more recrimination was going to earn Cyclops a punch in the face. Before it turned into an all out brawl, however, Bobby spoke up. "No, he didn't. We did. Lance was just trying to stop us. We took the X-Van, too."

Wolverine's eyes narrowed as Sam and Jubilee sheepishly came up behind the squirming Iceman. "Who's 'we'?"

Sam looked at the ground. "And Scott's car."

Jubilee looked like she wanted to disappear. "And your motorcycle."

By the look on Wolverine's face, touching his motorcycle was apparently some kind of felony. "My motorcycle?"

Luckily for the trio, Professor X intervened. "Well, we're lucky that there has been no official mention of the incident. The military must believe that it was a UFO sighting, so they are covering it up."

The upcoming lecture was stalled by Kurt entering the hanger, holding a tin of wax and a cloth. "I just need to wax the X-Jet, and my probation is history!" His cheerful look vanished at the sight of the X-Jet's current condition. "Aw, man!"

Lance decided that he should probably mention this to Rogue, then sit back and watch her tear into the New Recruits. If the Professor didn't come up with a suitable punishment, he might just do that anyway. Professor X gave Kurt an almost sympathetic look. "It's alright, Kurt. Consider your probation over." He turned a much sterner look at the New Recruits. "Yours, however, is just beginning. You can start by cleaning up the X-Jet."

Still looking at the ground, the New Recruits headed to do just that as Cyclops gave Lance an uncomfortable look. "I, uh, guess we all owe you a bit of an apology. Especially me."

Lance was severely tempted to tell Cyclops where to take his apology, _and_ what to do with it when he got there. Reluctantly deciding against it, he just held up a hand. "Save it, Summers, I'm out of here."

Professor X tried to stop him from leaving, hoping to be a neutral offer. "Lance, we're sorry. It's been a challenging transition for all of us."

Kitty's response was a bit more genuine, and almost changed him mind. "Please stay with us, Lance."

Almost, but not quite. Tabby and Rogue had been right; his home was with the Brotherhood. "Sorry. It looks like my home is with the Brotherhood. It's a piece of cake compared to you guys; you're way too high-maintenance."

Either Lance was overly tired, or there was a barely perceptible wince from the Professor. "Well, if you ever change your mind…"

Kitty ran up beside Lance, taking his hand as they waked up to the guest room and started packing Lance's bag. "I'm sorry it didn't work out, Lance. It would have been nice to have you around, and I think that the New Recruits liked you."

Lance shouldered his bag and smiled at her. "It was nice to be here, Pretty Kitty, but I fit in better with the Brotherhood, and I think my home is there. Besides, it's not like we'll never see each other!"

Kitty smiled at that, kissed him, and they walked out to the front gate together.

* * *

Lance walked back into the Boarding House, glad that it was too early for anyone else to be up. Sneaking into the kitchen for something to eat, his plan for a quiet entrance was foiled when he saw Rogue sitting at the table, reading.

Looking up from her book, she smiled. "Took you longer than I thought. Welcome home, Lance."

_x_

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_x_

_x_

_

* * *

A/N: New Chapter in only three days! I think I'm spoiling you.  
Not much Rogue in this chapter, sadly, but there will be a lot more of her in the next one. Plus, the final fall-out between Rogue and Boom-Boom, and Wanda escapes the asylum!_

_Anyway, I would love to know what you think. Constructive critisism is appreciated, flames are laughed at, and everything in between is welcomed. Take five extra seconds to review and tell me what you thought of the chapter.  
BTW, is anyone interested in the Chronicles of Narnia? I have a few stories in that catagory that I need some feedback for. And that really wasn't begging for reviews; I actually do need feedback on it._

_Thanks,  
Nat_


	20. Chapter Eighteen

_Disclaimer: Not mine.  
Summary: See previous chapters  
A/N: '**Walk on the Wild Side**' and '**Operation Rebirth**' are being switched around for the purposes of the story. Just bear with me._

**

* * *

******

Chapter Eighteen

Rogue hung up the speaker phone, exchanging worried frowns with Pietro. Wanda had finally been cleared as 'no-longer-insane', for lack of a better term, and would be leaving the Asylum in a few weeks. Upon hearing this, the girl had wasted no time hexing a guard into dropping his mobile phone next to her door, then manipulating the probability of it bouncing through the bars on her door window. Once the phone was in her custody, she had immediately rung her twin.

That was where the worried frown came in. Along with the news of her release, Wanda had also told them that one of the orderlies had insisted that she stay the extra weeks so that they could 'test' her powers. Precisely why they wanted to do so was an unpleasant mystery, and the idea of 'testing' mutants gave everyone a bad feeling.

Before they could even start to think of what to do next, they were interrupted by an explosion from upstairs, loud complaining from the bathroom, another explosion, and Boom-Boom coming down the stairs. Rogue was about to stalk out of the room to intercept the blonde, when a squeal of tires and an outraged yell from Lance indicated that Tabitha had left the house.

Seconds after that, Lance ran into the living room, followed by a still-damp Toad, both looking angry. Obviously, Rogue wasn't the only one reaching the end of her tether as far as Boom-Boom's antics were concerned. She closed her eyes and took a deep, steadying breath. "One week. Tabitha has one week to clean up her act, or Ah'm throwing her out lahke a jar of bad mayonnaise. Ah don't care if she goes back to the X-Men or if she leaves Bayville. She's on her own from there."

It said a lot about the state of things that no one even protested the decision. Tabitha was a fellow mutant in a world that had rejected them all before, but there was only so much a person could take. If the Boarding House had not been Rogue's home, she might have followed Lance's example and joined the X-Men just to get away from Tabby.

* * *

Six days later, Tabitha still hadn't even tried to change her behavior, and had just finished blowing up the sofa and Rec. Room table, along with the game station that had been resting on said table. Todd and Fred, who had been playing at the time both jumped up with a yell, and started shouting at Boom-Boom.

Knocking the girl out with a touch, Rogue left for a date with Warren, leaving the Brotherhood to their own devices. With Blob and Toad looking like they wanted to hang Tabitha from a tree by her ankles, Rogue didn't want to be there if her role as leader should demand that she put a stop to it. Plausible deniability was a wonderful thing.

* * *

For parents who were never around, Mr. and Mrs. Worthington were very over-attentive to their son on the rare occasions that they were home. This made it a lot harder to do anything on his own, but Warren had finally managed to evade his parents and escape to Bayville. Right now, he was sitting with Rogue at a small cafe that served Southern-Style food, and Rogue was laughing at his expression after he had taken a bite of the overly-spicy snack platter.

In all fairness, he probably did look very amusing, and Rogue was trying not to laugh too hard, but it was good to see her smiling again. "So, how are things with the Brotherhood? You seemed a bit stressed last time we talked."

Rogue's smile vanished, and her head dropped into one hand. Concerned, Warren reached out and took the free one. "Hey, I'm sorry; I didn't mean to upset you. What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

Looking up, Rogue gave him a sardonic half-smirk. "Not even close. You remember Tabitha Smith? Boom-Boom?"

Warren didn't quite manage to hide a cringe. He remembered the blonde Brotherhood girl with the questionable sanity, and often wished that he _didn't_. "The one that kept trying to corner me under the mistletoe? Unfortunately, yes. Is she causing trouble again?"

Rogue sighed. "To the extent that Lance actually left for a few days to get away from her. She doesn't show up when we need her, blows up doors instead of just opening them, laughs at causing mayhem, and refuses to listen to anyone. It's coming to the point where Ah have to choose between kicking her out, and having everyone else walk out. Ah would have tossed her out before, but Magneto has been keeping an eye on us, and Ah didn't want him getting hold of her."

Having been on the receiving end of Magneto's 'recruitment efforts', Warren could only imagine Magneto's idea of 'forceful persuasion'. He wasn't about to say so to his already upset girlfriend, however. "I can understand that. On the other hand, there are only so many chances you can give, and if Tabitha chooses to ignore them, then the consequences are hers to deal with."

Rogue relaxed slightly. "Thanks, Warren. Ah think Ah needed the reassurance. Enough moping, though; tell me how things have been up your end?"

Warren closed his eyes. "Until last week, absolutely fine. Then my parents decided to actually remember that they have a son, came back to visit after four months, and I haven't managed to find a single moment of privacy since. The last time I had more than five minutes to myself was when they dragged me out for an overnight skiing trip and I managed to fly off after dinner!"

Rogue barely managed to keep her face sympathetic and not ruin it with a smirk. "Well, looks lahke Ah can't complain about living with the Brotherhood anymore." She paused as the waiter came by with the bill. "There's a small mountain range not far off. Do ya feel lahke going somewhere prahvate?"

'Somewhere private' meant either flying, or the more traditional 'quiet time between couples'. Either way, Warren had absolutely no objections, especially with Rogue's almost complete control. Tossing down some money for the food, they left the café hand in hand.

Rogue and Angel enjoyed a race through the mountains for an hour or so, until Warren's cell phone went off. It turned out to be his parents, insisting that he return home at once. Angel was obviously reluctant, and muttered something rude that had Rogue stifling giggles as they returned to Bayville.

* * *

Parting ways at the train station, Rogue teleported back to the Brotherhood House, only to run straight into Boom-Boom. After Confrontation # ??, which ended with another warning about Tabitha's "Last Chance" status and Boom-Boom stalking off in a huff, Rogue firmly reminded herself that, barring a miracle, she would only have to put up with Tabitha for six more days, threw up her hands in resignation and joined Pietro in plotting Wanda's jailbreak.

They were unfortunately interrupted barely half an hour later by a loud _bamf_ from outside and Kurt knocking on the door. Hearing Tabitha on her way down to answer it, Rogue winced and used Jean's power to float out of the window and grab her brother first. "Aren't you supposed to be getting tortured by Wolverine about now?"

Kurt jumped, not having noticed her come down. "_Ja_, but something is wrong, and ze Professor sent me to find you. He needs your help with something."

Rogue folded her arms and raised a skeptical eyebrow, not needing words to convey what she thought of that. Kurt winced. "It sounds weird, I know, but Magneto is up to something, and ze Professor and Logan wanted to see if you could access Magneto's memory and see if there was anything there that might help."

Well, she didn't have anything else to do, and this sounded interesting. Taking her brother's hand, Rogue allowed him to teleport them both back to the X-Mansion.

* * *

_'Magneto is up to something'_ turned out to be an understatement. Magneto had stolen some kind of military project called 'Rebirth', and while both Wolverine and the Army officer who had dragged then into this refused to divulge details, Rogue gathered that it was something very important and urgent.

The fact that they needed Rogue's help was a doubly good thing. It had the X-men owing her a favor, which would help getting Wanda out, and which Rogue had actually demanded before she even started looking through Magneto's memory. Furthermore, it would inconvenience Magneto, which was always a good thing. Closing her eyes, Rogue shifted through Magneto's 'psyche file' in her mind, looking for possible bases for Magneto. _The Sahara desert. What looked like a huge metal orb, half-buried in the sand... Rocky outcroppings, landmarks pointing the way…a strange machine, like something out of **Star Wars**, and a person inside it._ "It's kinda confused, but there's this big metal dome half covered in rocks."

Wolverine and Professor Xavier exchanged a pleased look. "Where?"

Not so pleased that it prompted Wolverine to grasp the concept of civility, though. "The Sahara Desert."

Wolverine's reply almost dripped with sarcasm. "Well, that narrows it down to about three and a half million square miles. You couldn't maybe be a little more specific, could you?"

Rogue bit back an equally sarcastic reply. "Ah'm sure Ah could recognize some landmarks."

Now the exchanged glance was one of alarm as both the army guy and Wolverine spoke together. "You are not coming along!"

Rogue narrowed her eyes, the tone getting her hackles up. "Then you ain't finding it! Besahdes, from what Ah can figure out, nobody can get through that dome without the power of Magnetism."

The fact that Rogue was the only person both capable of using said power and willing to help them went unspoken. Professor Xavier began to offer an alternative, "Or…"

Now he was cut off by Kurt's excited voice. "Teleportation! Yes! The fuzzy man is on the mission!"

Oh, boy. That was not good.

* * *

Kurt was way too excited about all of this, Rogue thought. Chattering on about official briefings and missions, he was being observed with confusion from the younger ones, who were trying to figure out how a demonic looking teen could have such a cheerful outlook, and amused tolerance by the older operatives, who had seen such enthusiasm before. Rogue would have shared the amusement, had she not had a rather large worry on her mind.

When Mystique found out about this, Rogue had very little doubt that her mother would lapse back into her days as an assassin. The shapeshifter was paranoid enough when it came to Rogue facing Magneto, even after Rogue had proven that she could hold her own. When it came to Kurt… well, Rogue could testify that Mystique still had nightmares about what Magneto had done to Kurt when he was a baby.

Now both of them were going off on a mission that would probably involve a direct confrontation with Magneto, backed only by Wolverine and a few SHIELD operatives, which Mystique would not consider to be adequate protection for her children. Rogue could only hope that Destiny either wouldn't get a vision of this, or would at least avoid telling Mystique until after everything was over.

Her worry must have shown on her face, because one of the SHIELD operatives, who had repeatedly objected to the presence of the two teens, jumped at the opportunity to make a sneering remark. "Scared, miss? I told Fury that this wasn't a trip for children."

Condescension was on of the things that instantly made Rogue mad, especially coming from this idiot. "Ah'm more worried about Mama reverting to her assassin days when she fahnds out. Ah've faced Magneto twahce before and come out fahne," Rogue smirked at the now-annoyed operative, "How many tahmes has Magneto made ya run screaming?"

Rogue's words caught Kurt's attention. "Muzzer was an assassin? Vhy does no one ever tell me these things?"

Her comment also caught the operative's ire. "What was that, Skunk-head? It's a bad idea to insult SHIELD operatives."

If there was one thing guaranteed to anger Rogue, it was the deeply unoriginal nickname 'skunk-head'. Honestly, couldn't people come up with something a bit more inventive? "Oh, you're gonna push me around now? Please, lay a finger on me. We'll see what happens."

Any response was intercepted by Wolverine. "Not a good idea, bub. Rogue, up front, let's see if you can spot any landmarks."

Rolling her eyes, Rogue unbuckled her restraint and followed him, looking out over the desert, hearing Kurt come up behind them, still using as many official-sounding words as possible. "So, commander, clarify the particulars while we mentally prep."

Far from being impressed, this only earned him blank looks from Fury and Wolverine. "What?"

Considering that Wolverine had to deal with the New Recruits on a daily basis, Rogue thought that he would have been better at deciphering Hyperactive Teen. "He wants to know why Magneto wants this Rebirth thing anyway."

Wolverine and Fury both looked as though they would rather not talk about this, but part of the agreement with Rogue was that they wouldn't withhold necessary information. "Back in World War II he saw it in action with Captain America. He must have researched it afterward."

Rogue would have questioned further, but was distracted by a landmark. "There! Head east past that ridge of rock."

The carrier turned and Rogue leaned back in her seat as Kurt continued asking questions. "So if this 'Project: Rebirth' made such great soldiers, why was Captain America the only one?"

Rogue had done a bit of research herself. "Because greatness isn't supposed to come that easily, Kurt. Ah didn't fahnd much on it, but something about Rebirth supposedly caused Captain America's death."

Wolverine apparently knew more about it. "Rebirth made Captain America a super soldier, but there was a price to pay. The procedure had a flaw in it for humans: Cellular Breakdown. Captain America was dying."

* * *

Having effectively killed the conversation, silence reigned as the afternoon wore on. Just as night was beginning to fall, Rogue spotted the base; a dome half buried in rocks. "That's it, up ahead!"

The helicraft began it's decent as several SHIELD operatives began to prep land bikes, and Rogue went to change into her uniform, which consisted of a skin-tight black spandex pants and vest, trimmed with green, that had sent Pietro walking straight into a wall. A slender dirk ("Because you can't always rely on your powers, dear, and Christian said that it's a Darkholme war trophy.") hung from a matching belt, this time accompanied by a detonator to take care of the Rebirth machine.

Walking over to where Kurt was mounting a double-seated bike, Rogue slid in front of her brother and followed Wolverine into the desert.

They were approaching Magneto's base when they heard the sound of something flying through the air behind them. A few operatives turned their bikes to face the projectile, just in time for two of them to be hit and thrown from the bikes, while the object collided with a third, smashing it.

Anger quickly turned to confusion when the missile turned out to be a slightly dazed wombat. Things became clearer, at least for the mutants, when the wombat promptly turned into an Emu and raced off, clutching a banksia pod in its beak. Rogue exchanged a pained glance with Kurt, "Not those two again."

'Those two', meant the mutant identical twins Flora and Fauna, who they had faced on Asteroid M. Their ability to change into any native Australian plant or animal, coupled with Flora's fertile imagination for the creative use of their powers and almost telepathic co-ordination, made them a formidable and very annoying opponent.

Wolverine growled. "There goes our chance of sneaking up on Magneto. Come on."

The annoying operative from before called out to Fury. "How long do you estimate before they spot us?"

Fury didn't need to reply, as a bomb hit the ground just meters away. Wolverine's response was loaded with sarcasm. "I'd say right about now!"

The SHIELD operatives split up to make a distractive target, while Fury, Wolverine, Kurt and Rogue went straight for the dome. Speeding over the edge of a sand dune, they abandoned the bikes, grabbed onto Kurt, and were teleported into the dome.

Re-appearing near the top of the dome and crashing into a heap with Kurt, Rogue tried to disentangle herself. "Oh, yeah, that was smooth."

Moving his leg off her stomach and unwrapping his tail from her arm, Kurt picked himself up. "Better than getting squeegeed off the dome from outside."

Keeping an eye out for the twins, the team of four moved closer. The Rebirth chamber was on the other side of the dome, and someone was already in it. Wolverine quickly moved forward, only to be slammed by Sabertooth. The two feral mutants squared off, and the other three ran toward the Rebirth Chamber.

Half way there, they were intercepted by the twins and two metal beams. Rogue hurriedly tapped into Magneto's powers and used the beams to pin Fauna to a wall, knocking her unconscious. Flora broke off her attack to help her twin, and left herself open to a counter-attack from Fury, who knocked her out as well. Unfortunately, the twins were not Magneto's only back up. An insane cackle was the only warning before they were attacked by a burst of fire in the shape of a lion. Kurt and Fury skirted around the new attacker, while Rogue retaliated with Naiad's powers, sending a blast of water strong enough to knock the pyrokenetic out and extinguish the fire, resulting in a fog of steam.

When Rogue could see again, Fury had been knocked out by a man who was made of living metal, and was now fighting Kurt. Another young man, a few years older than Rogue, was standing in front of her, handing her a glowing card as he stared into her eyes and smirked.

A bonus side effect of Rogue's powers was that, with so many psyches co-inhabiting her mind, empaths and telepaths found it very hard to get a grip on her. With this fact in mind, Rogue was not too distracted to notice that the card in her hand was probably dangerous, threw it at the mutant fighting Kurt, and attacked the one in front of her. Sadly, he was faster than he looked, and managed to dodge, backing away and pulling out a retractable staff. "Aw, _Chere_, don' be like that. Gambit don' wanna hurt you."

His accent suggested Cajun, and under different circumstances, Rogue might have been charmed. At the moment, however, she had bigger things to worry about, such as the fact that the Rebirth Chamber had _whirr_ed into life. Seeing Kurt pick himself up and start moving toward her, Rogue only glared at her opponent. "Tough luck for 'Gambit'. Kurt, catch!"

She threw the bomb high into the air, watching long enough to make sure that her brother teleported to catch it, then teleported again to the Rebirth Chamber, a revived Fury running to guard him from any further attacks. Unfortunately, they still had to figure out how to get the person inside the Chamber out first, so Rogue left them to it. Turning back to Gambit, Rogue concentrated on her bare skin, bringing her absorption powers to the fore just as Gambit managed to grab her. A single touch and a few seconds of contact, and Rogue ducked a flying Sabertooth, along with a large piece of equipment, and joined Wolverine in running for the Chamber.

A few swipes of Wolverine's claws gave them enough of an opening to drag the victim out of the Chamber, giving Kurt enough time to set the bomb, and giving Rogue a few seconds to recognize the figure they pulled out of the Chamber as Magneto. She was about to say something along the lines of 'let's just leave him there', but Kurt pulled the pin, and Rogue decided that escaping the blast zone was more important.

The resulting shockwave sent everyone flying, and somehow had the opposing effect of reviving Flora and Fauna, who picked themselves up and ran for what seemed to be an unopened exit, dragging the metal man with them. Everyone else lay still for a few seconds, until Magneto caught sight of the ruined Project: Rebirth and leaped to his feet, staring in horror. Gambit and the pyrokenetic also leapt to their feet, following Magneto's other three minions out of the immediate area as their boss turned his wrath on those still present. "Wolverine!"

Pieces of destroyed machines lifted off the floor, joining together to form some kind of stick monster, which clanked toward them, pinning Rogue, Fury and the two X-Men to the ground. Swirling his cloak around his shoulders and accepting his helmet from Sabertooth, Magneto glared at them. "It seems that I have you at my mercy. However, you spared my life, so I will spare yours."

The metal stick monster that had them trapped fell back into pieces. Magneto gestured at a wall, which opened to reveal a large exit where his other employees were standing. Needless to say, they quickly made themselves scarce as the SHIELD operatives who had caused the diversion came running up. Magneto started to follow them, but paused for a few moments when he passed Wolverine. "There was a small boy in Poland who owes you that much."

Magneto and the others left by way of large metal orbs before the metal pinning the four of them also collapsed, so there was nothing they could do but return to the carrier and head home.

* * *

Upon returning to Bayville, Rogue called in her favor and had the X-Men investigate Wanda's asylum. After the day's events, it was needless to say that Wolverine took the news of 'testing' badly, and was more than happy to destroy the lab. Kurt didn't seem too eager to stop him, and the other X-Men were busy holding off security, allowing Rogue to take advantage of the confusion to sneak Wanda out.

Unfortunately, Xavier caught them, and insisted that Wanda go to the Institute first, to check on her physical condition properly. The two girls had reluctantly agreed, and parted ways, with Rogue promising to bring Pietro (and a plan to break Wanda out of the Institute, if needed) the next day.

Meanwhile, it was two minutes past midnight, and technically Boom-Boom's Day of Judgment. With that happy thought in her head, Rogue teleported back to the Brotherhood Boarding House for at least a few hours sleep before she had to face Tabitha's loud protests at being kicked out for good.

* * *

Tabitha gave Rogue a disbelieving stare Rogue had woken her up in the ungodly hours of the morning, only to inform her that Tabitha would be leaving for good within the next hour. "Hey, this is my house too, skunk-head! You can't kick me out."

Rogue returned the look with a 'Don't-Cross-Me' glare. "You've been given more chances than that tree outsahde has leaves, Ah flat-out warned ya last week, and tahme's up. If ya think Ah'm letting ya stick around after all you've pulled, y'all are dumber than Ah thought."

The argument had woken the rest of the Brotherhood, who had sleepily made their way out to see what was going on. Glaring at Rogue again, Boom-Boom looked to her other house-mates for support. "Rogue here thinks she can kick me out. We're a group; are you guys just going to let her do that?"

The reaction was probably not what she had expected. Though still half asleep, Todd visibly brightened. "You mean I can use a bathroom without fearing for my life again? I'll help you pack, yo."

Pietro followed Todd inside as Tabitha looked at the remaining two for help. Lance's reply was very straightforward. "Boom-Boom, the only reason you've stayed here this long is because no one wanted Magneto to get his hands on you. We've spent the last month trying to find a way to get you out of here. You'll get no argument from us."

Tabitha's attitude turned sulky as she finally realized that her actions had consequences. 'Fine. I was getting sick of living in Moron Manor, anyway."

The snippy retort was somewhat ruined by a silver streak blurring out of the house, depositing Tabitha's bags beside her. Feeling almost lost, Tabitha picked up her bag and left. Her pride was too strong for her to admit defeat and go back to the X-Men, but there was a shelter not far away. She could stay there until she figured out the next step.

* * *

At the X-Mansion, things were not going quite so well. Wanda had been cleared as healthy, but the inhabitants were not entirely at ease with having someone who had just been released from a nut-house in residence. Dressed in black jeans and a red vest that Rogue had added to her few possessions, just in case, Wanda was now being introduced over breakfast. "Students, this is Wanda Maximoff. She is new to Bayville, so I'd like you to make her feel welcome."

Wanda moved to sit with the New Recruits, who, according Rogue who had heard it from Lance, were a bit more accepting. It seemed that they were right, as a red-haired girl with a Scottish accent passed her a plate of scrambled eggs. "I'm Rahne. Welcome to the X-Mansion."

Wanda accepted the plate as the other New Recruits took that as a cue to introduce themselves as well, asking about everything from her name to her powers to where she had lived before. They were accepting, but a bit too enthusiastic, and Wanda was not really used to being crowded. "I'm the Scarlet Witch. No offence meant, but could you move away a bit, please."

Thankfully, they did so, and Wanda savored her first decent meal in over eight years. She carefully avoided Spyke's question of if she was related to Pietro Maximoff, but the inquiry became an un-necessary when a gust of wind burst through the mansion and skidded to a halt beside Wanda, grabbing her in a hug. It was closely followed by a _bamf_ and a cloud of smoke, which cleared to reveal a harried-looking Rogue, still in her nightgown, who stumbled on landing and fell into Kurt's lap. "Sorry, he got away from us."

Professor Xavier hid a smile. "That's quite all right, Rogue, I understand that Quicksilver would wish to see his twin, but if I may ask, what are you doing here yourself?"

Wanda managed to escape her brother's hold for a few moments, long enough to answer the question. "Picking me up, of course. Nothing personal, and thanks for your help, but your institute is really not my kind of place."

The X-Men probably would have said something, but Pietro had scooped Wanda into his arms and taken off in a blur of colour. Rogue sighed in exasperation, waved goodbye to Kurt, and teleported away again.

* * *

The run to the Boarding House took less than a minute, but Pietro didn't bother to slow down upon reaching the door, which someone had thoughtfully left open. Racing inside, he promptly collided with Todd, which sent Wanda flying through the air, with only a quick hex allowing her to land upright at the top of the stairs, rather than landing face first half way up. Rogue teleported in just as Todd untangled himself from Pietro and got his first good look at the Scarlet Witch.

To Rogue, Lance and Fred's amusement, his face became positively dreamy. "I never knew angels flew so low."

Trying not to snicker, Rogue led Wanda to her new room, distantly hearing Todd accuse Pietro of never telling them that he had a gothic goddess for a sister. Wanda had never seen or experienced this kind of attention before, and felt confused about how to react, but put it out of her mind as Rogue opened a door.

Looking at her new room, and a new start at life, Wanda smiled.

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A/N: Whew, that was not easy to write. Anyway, Wanda is with the Brotherhood, Boom-Boom is gone, and there was even a bit of Remy for those who wanted to see him. I'm posting this five minutes before I have to run to get to my Real Estate learning course, so I'll just add that Constructive Criticism is appreciated.

_Thanks, Nat._


	21. Chapter Ninteen

_Disclaimer: Not mine._

_Summary: See previous chapters_

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Chapter Twenty

All things considered, Wanda was settling in nicely as the newest Brotherhood member. She was free of the asylum, and had her twin back, along with a slightly dysfunctional new family. She had the opportunity to fine-tune her still slightly shaky control and the only uncertainty in her life was Toad.

Todd had developed a crush on Wanda the size of Europe, and was jumping to fulfill her every wish. The problem with this was that after spending half her life in an asylum, with little human contact, Wanda was still moving past the 'boys are icky' stage, and wasn't quite sure how to deal with this new development.

Luckily, the newly-codenamed Scarlet Witch had other things to think about. Mystique had managed to acquire a bank statement of Magneto's account and discovered that there was still at least a quarter of a million dollars left. After Rogue and Kurt's recent encounter with Magneto and the 'Rebirth' project, further depletion of Magneto's resources sounded like fun.

Several thousand went to the monthly cost of structural damage, the natural result of a house filled with adolescent mutants, especially after the 'We-Lost-Boom-Boom-and-Wanda's-Homecoming' party had gone a bit out of hand. After that, Rogue and Wanda had decided to indulge their shallow sides and go on a shopping spree.

Considering that Wanda had been eight years old when Magneto dumped her in the Asylum, and was getting tired of borrowing Rogue's clothes, it promised to be big.

* * *

Tabitha Smith would willingly admit that she lived for fun, and seldom gave a thought to consequences. Sure, consequences had become a bit more important when Rogue had thrown her out of the Brotherhood House and the others had not only failed to stand up for her, but had been very much in favor of Tabitha's eviction, but that was just one instance. All Boom-Boom needed to get back to normal was a bit of R&R, so she could just hook up with one of the X-Girls after school and go shopping or something.

That was why Tabitha was currently ignoring the fact that she, as the ex-Brotherhood girl, was essentially homeless, and was now cruising down the street with Amara in Jean's "borrowed" car, throwing cherry-bombs at random immobile objects as they headed for the Mall. Amara looked worried about the speed they were going, but Tabitha knew she would probably relax once they really got going.

Stopped at a red light, things really started to pick up. A pair of young men jumped up from where they had been sitting, pulled the driver of the car in front of the two girls out of his seat, and then blew a kiss at Tabitha before zooming off. Well, the boy was kind of cute, in a rugged, bad-boy sort of way, but that was beside the point. Amara sounded surprised as she pointed at the disappearing car. "Did you see that?"

Tabitha's afternoon was rapidly turning out to be much more fun that she had originally anticipated. Switching gears, she tore off after the stolen car, nearly running over the previous owner. "Did I? Hang on!"

Again, Tabitha decided that the X-Men really needed to get out more, as Amara's response to this was a shriek and a plea for her to slow down. This was way too much excitement for Tabitha to pass up, however, and she ignored her friend's worry. "Forget that! This is way more fun than shopping for shoes!"

What followed was a high-speed car chase that would have made any 'live-action' movie proud, if you excluded the carjackers nearly killing a child and her mother while trying to lose the two girls. Luckily, the stolen car was jerked to a painful telekinetic halt by Jean Grey, who promptly joined in, chasing after Tabitha and Amara.

Amara was just remembering why most of the X-Men had avoided Tabitha when she was in one of her 'exuberant' moods. Following the carjackers down a narrow side alley, they crashed into at least three dustbins and narrowly avoided a head on collision with a dumpster. Sternly reminding herself that Princesses did not whimper in sheer terror, Amara yelled to her dubiously-sane friend. "Tabitha, please, slow down! I feel like a pinball!"

Boom-Boom either ignored her, or didn't hear, as the thieves they were chasing began to widen the distance. "They're getting away from us! Amara, quick, melt their tires!"

If stopping the carjackers meant that they could stop this potentially death-defying race, Amara didn't care who saw her. Rubbing her hands together to make a fireball, she aimed at the car. A second to aim as she leaned out the window and the fireball connected, taking out one of the back tires and sending the car skidding wildly out of control.

A second fireball missed the other back tire, but blew out the rear window, providing an opening for two of Tabitha's cherry bombs. Seeing the glowing orbs landing next to them, the carjackers screeched to a halt, threw the doors open and bolted, trying to get as far away from the car as possible.

Their flight was halted by the appearance of Jean Grey, who used several cement blocks to trap them in place, and then floated down off the low wall she was sitting on, folding her arms as she prepared to deliver a lecture. To Amara's relief, Jan was halted in turn by Tabitha's cheer. "That was Awesome! We bagged the baddies and recouped the coupe!"

Jean sent a pointed look at the destroyed and still lightly smoking car. "I'm sure the owner will be very grateful." The trio heard sirens from the distance. "Let's let the police handle it from here."

* * *

The first stop on the Brotherhood Girls' shopping trip was a hairdresser's saloon to get Wanda's hair trimmed, and to add a few red highlights, followed by a trip to several shoe shops. After that came numerous clothing stores, a few electronics places, and the bookshop. They rounded things off with a stop at the food court, for a late lunch and to point and laugh at the various dramas that went on at any given time, from teenage not-a-date's to overly energetic three-year-olds.

There was also the occasional adolecent boy to scare off. For some unknown reason, there were always a few boys who just couldn't comprehend that not every girl was going to fall over themselves to get at him. After the sixth Jock slunk off when his milkshake spontaneously blew up in his face when he tried to hit on Wanda, however, they seemed to get the message. Joining Wanda in amusement, Rogue was distracted by a 'Current Affairs' report. "In other news, a pair of notorious car-jackers was apprehended today, thanks to a bunch of good Samaritans."

The camera zoomed in on a car that looked like it had been partially blown up, and a pair of young men being shoved into a police car. Interestingly, one of them was talking loudly, "I swear, one of them made little glowing balls out of nothing, and they exploded when they hit us!"

The other one backed his fellow culprit up. "Yeah! And one of them lifted those huge blocks without touching them! It was like she was moving them with her mind!"

Rogue and Wanda exchanged glances. Wanda sighed, "Maybe they were on something and hallucinated it?"

Rogue shook her head. "Those scorch marks on the ground are too far away to be caused bah some explosion in the car, and Ah've seen enough of them around the Boarding House to recognize Tabitha's handiwork anywhere."

* * *

As Tabitha was no longer the Brotherhood's problem to deal with, the news of the car jackers was quickly forgotten, especially after what happened in Wanda's control session the next day.

If anyone had bothered to ask Rogue, she could have easily told them it was a bad idea. As could have Mystique. Or anyone with even a small amount of common sense.

As it stood, however, the Brotherhood boys had somehow decided to interrupt a control session with Agatha, who had returned to help Wanda with her control, just to see how far Wanda had progressed. What they had not counted on, was the fact that Wanda Maximoff was still getting used to her new freedom, and was still slightly jumpy.

While she did a very convincing job of pretending otherwise, Wanda was still a bit skittish when it came to sudden loud noises, such as a door crashing open from two adolescent boys tripping and crashing into it, and another two crashing into them. Wanda had panicked, lost control and hexed the entire room before she could stop herself. Agatha's shield had protected her, but the others suddenly burst into song. 'We Will Rock You' was a lot funnier when it contrasted with Lance's absolutely horrified expression, and Pietro's rendition of 'I'm too sexy' was faintly disturbing.

It was Rogue, however, who finally convinced Wanda to stop laughing about it. 'Hey Mickey' was nowhere near as amusing when the lyrics were: _'So come on and give it to me if you think you can/ Anyway ya trah to touch ya'll end up on the sand/ Ya'll be out lahke a lahght/ And Ah won't give a damn, Mickey!' _

The effects of Wanda's hex were quickly reversed.

* * *

'That Incident' was the reason that the Brotherhood girls had formed a temporary alliance with Jean, Kitty, Amara, and to a lesser extent Tabitha, and were commiserating about Stupid Boys two days later.

It seemed that Cyclops had started the mess by playing '(Unwanted) Knight in Shining Armor' during a Danger Room session, setting Jean in a bad mood, which was only compounded by Duncan being presumptuous and buying tickets for the upcoming Sadie Hawkins dance, where girls were supposed to ask boys.

This had happened the same day that Tabitha and Amara had gone on their little 'Girl Power' trip against the car jackers, with Jean joining in at the last minute.

Last night, New Recruits Iceman, Berserker and Sunspot had played a prank on Kitty, the details of which she refused to disclose, and she had caught them.

When you added 'That Incident' and the fact that Wanda had missed the 'Boys are Evil' Pre-pubescent gender war, the six girls were thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Surprisingly enough, it was Jean who eventually came up with the idea to continue Tabitha and Amara's 'Crime-Fighting Spree'. Six capable (not to mention hot) young woman taking down criminals without boys jumping in to try and play hero. And thus the Bayville sirens were born.

* * *

There was something about black leather, Rogue decided, that made for an incredible bonding experience. Black leather pants, boots and midriff-bearing, sleeveless tops were the new and unofficial uniform of the Bayville Sirens, an all-girl vigilante group dedicated to stopping crime, ranging from graffiti to drive-by theft to mugging to car-jacking.

Oh, and the occasional mall-crawl, despite differing tastes and people staring at you when you danced in a music store.

* * *

Rogue and Wanda were relaxing in the kitchen, introducing Wanda to Hershey's Kisses and poking fun at the news report. They sat bolt upright, however, when a backdrop of six female outlines, looking disturbingly like a certain six mutants, appeared on the screen, under the banner **'Bayville Sirens'**.

Rogue let out a particularly inventive curse, drawing a raised eyebrow from Wanda, and then turned their attention back to the TV announcer. "_And so, in just a few short days, Bayville's crime rate has been literally cut in half, all due to the mysterious group of female crime fighters referred to as the 'Bayville Sirens'._"

The TV screen changed to outside Bayville Police Station, where a group of reporters crowded around the Police Chief. A brunette woman was the first to get a question in. "_Chief Rothman, do you have any clues to the identity of the Sirens?_"

Chief Rothman looked almost frustrated as he replied to the question. "_Not yet. But whoever they may be, we have no choice but to put a stop to their vigilante activities._"

Rogue reached out and turned off the TV, exchanging frowns with Wanda. The police were still a long way from catching them, but the Sirens would need to start being a bit more careful. They would have to talk to the X-Men about it at school the next day.

* * *

For such supposedly intelligent people, the X-Men could be surprisingly dense at times. Rogue had expected Boom-Boom to completely disregard her warnings about the increased Media attention (the blonde hadn't changed that much), but she had expected Jean to at least listen to her concerns.

Apparently the Brotherhood Girls had shot far off the mark, however, as their fellow Sirens just laughed it off and started walking to class. Rogue and Wanda shared exasperated looks before following them, ire evaporating as they moved down the hall, strong and confident, drawing looks of admiration and/or infatuation from every male student as the crowds parted like the Red Sea.

Wanda shot a smirk at Rogue when several girls passed them. The majority was alternating glares between the six Sirens and the male population, but two at the back were discussing the Bayville Sirens. "Man, those Sirens are awesome."

The shared smirk between the Brotherhood Girls changed to a concerned glance when they heard the second girl's reply. "Yeah! You know some people are even saying that they have special powers."

Up ahead, Scott Summers overheard and slapped a hand to his forehead. Thinking quickly, he grabbed a passing Nightcrawler, whose immediate response was "I didn't do it!"

Trying not to wince in apprehension at what might have prompted such a statement, Scott hushed him. "Kurt, cancel your plans for tonight. We've got a little secret mission to take care of."

Kurt raised a questioning eyebrow at the Team Leaders strange behavior. Further up the hall, Rogue nodded to her own team-mate. None of the Bayville Sirens could even remotely be called fat, but tonight would be the last time that these Sirens sang.

* * *

The plan for that night was simple. A quick phone call, and Wanda and Rogue were driving to pick up the X-Girls. Given the nature of their nightly exploits, Rogue had taken to accessing either Wolverine or Sabertooth's enhanced senses when the girls went out. This fact, combined with the overheard conversation between Cyclops and Nightcrawler, a small enhanced probability from Wanda, and the glaringly bright colour of Scott's car, even at night, meant that she easily spotted the two would-be followers.

Waiting for the X-Girls to appear, a whispered conversation caused Rogue to roll her eyes._ "Blue Boy to Tracker One, can you read me? The pigeons are leaving the roost/"_

"_Kurt, I'm right here. Why are you talking like that?"_

Kurt jumped down from where he had been balancing on the wall. _"Duck! They are coming this way!"_

No matter. Even if tonight's cancellation plan didn't work out, Scott would effectively ban the X-Girls from their night time outings. Rogue put it out of mind as the doors of the Institute opened and three figures sprinted across the lawn. Tabitha would be joining them a mile down the road.

Speeding down the Mainstreet, the Sirens' would-be pursuers were spotted by Jean. "Uh, ladies, we have company."

Rogues smirked and speed up as Tabitha gleefully replied to the statement. "Not for long."

Cyclops and Nightcrawler chased them toward the train line, where a freighter was on its way through. Rogue didn't slow down as Wanda called to the back seat, "Kitty, phase us through!"

The X-Girl in question grinned and closed her eyes in concentration, holding onto the side of the car as the train carriages loomed closer. Not slowing down, the car sped across the railroad, emerging from the other side of the train. Letting go, Kitty cheered and exchanged a high five with Amara as the Sirens heard a frustrated honk of a car horn from the other side.

* * *

To Rogue's frustration, the only place to change was the restroom of a gas station. Very limited room aside, the fact that they had to pick the lock to get in meant that they also received a very unpleasant surprise when a tollbooth man, who had asked the shop worker for the key, walked in.

Besides, she didn't particularly care for absorbing random people off the street, especially when it meant getting a dose of thoughts from a boy who had just received an eyeful. "Man, we gotta fahnd a better place to change!"

In the back, Tabitha shrugged. "Hey, relax; no one will believe that tollbooth guy."

There were any number of cutting remarks that just begged to be vocalized as a response, including one or two regarding what people thought of Tabitha in regards to physical appearance, but Rogue managed to restrain herself. Luckily, further talking was rendered useless when Amara pointed out a car-jacking up ahead. "Look!"

The Bayville Sirens sped off after the stolen car. Distantly, Wanda could hear the previous owner calling the police. Drat.

* * *

The Bayville Sirens chased the stolen car to the warehouse district, at which point the car seemed to vanish. Wanda lifted her sunglasses as she looked around. "Where did he go?"

Kitty shrugged. "This is too weird. He just vanished."

Well, at least one X-Girl had a bit of common sense, if she noticed something wrong with the picture. The Sirens scanned the area as Jean suddenly pointed off to the side. "Maybe not. Look."

The others followed her finger to where a garage was just shutting behind the stolen car. Parking the car a good distance away, just in case, the six of them carefully snuck into the building that the carjacker had disappeared into.

Inside, they hid behind a large pile of tires as they looked around. The area was filled with several cars and even more men working on taking said cars apart. For once, Tabitha kept her voice down as she peered out. "It's a chop shop. They're taking apart the stolen car for parts!"

Jean and Kitty also leaned out for a better view. "Then this must be the base for the car-theft ring."

Rogue winced as a voice rang out from behind them. "Glad you could join the party girls. We've been expecting you."

How could she have missed this? Rogue ran through an impressive mental litany of curses as Wanda sounded almost put out. "Aw, man. It's a trap!"

Shadowcat sounded distinctly unimpressed. "That is so weak."

The ringleader's voice was almost smug as he came into the light, accompanied by several thugs wielding metal bars and chains. "Yeah, you see, you Sirens have been slowing down our business, and the boys are getting a tad irritable about it.

Still in a crouch, Magma somehow managed to draw herself up. "Look, didn't your mother ever teach you not to pick on girls?"

The response to that was as old as time, but that didn't stop the ringleader from saying it anyway. "Yeah, too bad I never listened to her."

Tabitha jumped to her feet, followed by the others. "Well, guess what, Brain-dead? She was right, and here's why!"

The six girls blurred into action. Jean leapt high and angled down to land on one, booted heels first.

A blue light glowed around Wanda's fist as she slammed it into another's stomach, sending him flying across the room.

Rogue spun into a roundhouse kick, sending a third man down with a crack that indicated a broken jaw.

Kitty phased through one, who spun around just in time to receive a knee to the belly, followed by a blow to the small of his back, knocking him down.

Two more ran up behind Jean, who telekinetically shoved them back, then sent a nearby pile of tires flying at them. One was knocked flat, while the other went flying into a barrel of oil, knocking it over and spilling the flammable liquid all over the floor.

Amara backed away from her assailants, giving herself room to move as she made a mocking gesture at them. Seeing no danger in a small teenaged girl (these were obviously two who had not had their butts kicked in a previous encounter) they charged at her, only to be knocked back by a spin-kick that downed both of them in a single move.

Rogue and Wanda stood together, and thus both were grabbed from behind and ganged up on at the same time. Wanda leaned back against the one who was holding her and brought her legs up, kicking one of the thugs that approached her. An elbow to her captor's gut freed her, and a strong punch brought him down, even as a third attacker tripped over his suddenly untied shoelaces and whacked his head on the concrete hard enough to be knocked unconscious.

The thug trying to restrain Rogue had wrapped his arms around her middle, and promptly came into contact with her lethal skin. He dropped like a fallen log, and Rogue shook her head slightly to clear it, and then grabbed a pole, using it as a crude escrima stick to take down the other three, who were operating on a charge-and-overwhelm mentality. Faced with a moderately acrobatic practiced fighter, it didn't work as well as they had hoped. Tossing the pole away, accidentally braining a thug who was trying to sneak up on Kitty, Rogue looked to see how the rest of the Sirens were doing.

Tabitha was surrounded by the remaining four. Her strategy was simplistic: throw a multitude of cherry bombs at them. It worked, sending the lot of them flying, but it would have gone a lot better if Boom-Boom had stopped there, rather than merely creating more and throwing them all over the place. The smaller cherry bombs did little more than flash and explode, but when they came into contact with oil, things were set on fire. The other five Sirens dodged pieces of flaming debris, and turned to glare at her. Tabitha shrugged carelessly.

Rogue decked one who was trying to get back to his feet as Wanda and Tabitha started tying the unconscious thugs up. Kitty, Amara and Jean were about to help when they spotted the ringleader trying to escape out of a back door. Jean and Amara formed a scoop with their hands, throwing Kitty into the air. Twisting in mid-air, Kitty's feet hit the ringleader in the back, knocking him into the trunk of a car, several tins of oil falling out of an open door with the impact.

Rogue's eyes widened as the oil track hit one of the many small fires, flames racing along the slick. Seconds before the blaze reached the car, a blast of red energy knocked the vehicle away. Seeing Jean's eyes flicker to a balcony on the top floor, Rogue ignored it and picked up a fire hydrant to start putting out the flames before the warehouse burned down around them.

* * *

Police cars (by the sound of sirens and screeching tires) surrounded the warehouse just as the last of the flames was extinguished. Seemingly oblivious, Tabitha stood from where she had tied up the last pair of criminals. "Girl Power. Don't you just love it?"

Evidently, not everyone did, as a particularly irate-sounding voice rang out. "All right, fun's over! The building is surrounded, and there's no way out!"

Rogue marveled at Amara's genuine confusion as she put down her fire extinguisher and took a few steps forward. "But – But we're the Good Guys! Or, rather, Girls."

The policewoman was not impressed. "I know exactly who you are." (Tabitha and Kitty preened for a moment.) "You're vigilantes who take the law into your own hands!" (The two girls visibly deflated.) "And you're under arrest."

Tabitha faltered for a moment before her attitude returned. "Oh, yeah? Well, if you know who we are, then you know not to get in our way."

The policewoman looked even less intimidated than before as Tabitha shifted into a battle stance, but was restrained by Jean. "No. We're not going to fight with the police."

The policewoman's smile was sardonic. "Smart girl." Her flashlight moved over the bound criminals. "Looks like you put an end to their little enterprise. Good work. Look, I'll probably lose my job for this, but I'm gonna let you go."

Kitty perked up. "Really? Cool."

Rogue and Wanda exchanged weary glances behind the younger girl's back as the policewoman continued. "But only if you promise to stop what you've been doing, and I mean now! It's either that, or I take you in."

Tabitha scowled, but Jean smiled in relief. "Deal. Thanks."

The policewoman pointed to some nearby stairs. "That leads to a sub basement, which should take you down to the sewers. Now get going!"

It could have been Rogue's imagination, but she thought that the policewoman looked a little too pleased at the idea of the six girls going through the sewers. Jean hid a grimace, but managed a polite response. "You got it. And thanks."

The six of them ran off, with Kitty doubling back for a moment. "By the way, their boss is in the trunk."

They disappeared down the stairs just as the rest of the police force managed to get the garage door open. Calling a negative to her squad leader, the policewoman drifted off to the side, where a glance out the window showed the ex-Bayville Sirens running to a car. Those girls! Tough fighters, good enough to take down a big crime ring and two of them sneaky enough to put a stop to it when things threatened to get out of hand.

She gazed after the retreating Sirens as just as Rogue and Wanda disappeared from sight. She had been shocked when they told her about the Bayville Sirens, but oh, she was proud of them.

Hidden by a cloud of smoke, Mystique resumed her true form, a rueful smirk on her blue lips.

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A/N: This chapter proved tougher to write than I thought. It's up now, though, and reviews, especially constructive criticism, are welcomed. I have a previous, Mystique-based WotWS fic also on this site. It's titled 'Wildchild', but has no real connection to this story. Just in case anyone was confused._

_Next Chapter will be the Sadie Hawkins Dance; tell me who you think should go with whom!_

_In other news, my course finishes in two days! Wish me luck.  
__Thanks,  
__Nat._


	22. Chapter Twenty

_Disclaimer: Do we really need to go over this again? I don't own X-Men: Evolution._

_Summary: See previous chapters._

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Chapter Twenty

Rogue put down the phone, frowning. She had just spent half an hour listening to her brother's gleeful rant on visiting the dimension he passed through while teleporting, and the Genius of Forge for inventing the machine. Personally, Rogue thought that anything involving Forge was doomed to disaster, but there was really nothing she could do about it.

Hearing a piercing shriek and a crash from downstairs, followed by loud voices, Rogue's frown changed into a broad smile, as she guessed the reason for the commotion. Still smirking, she headed downstairs, thanking her stars that Mystique was not currently in residence.

The reason for the disturbance was simple. Rogue and Warren's date the previous night had lasted longer than expected, and with Warren still trying to avoid his over attentive parents, they had simply decided to let Warren stay overnight. Not in the same room, of course, but the rest of the Brotherhood didn't know that.

Rogue entered the kitchen to chaos. Despite popular opinion, Warren could cook, and had made breakfast for everyone. Of course, breakfast usually amounted to different kinds of cereal and toast, but that was beside the point.

Unfortunately, he had not yet changed, as the Brotherhood often ate breakfast in their pajamas, and since his wings necessitated sleeping shirtless, the boys had jumped to conclusions. Given the mindset of the average teenaged male, and the fact that Rogue was their non-biological sister, things looked to turn nasty, which explained the loud voices.

The crash had been the result of Wanda accidentally hexing a pan in surprise, as a half-dressed, and rather good-looking, boy was not what her sleepy mind had expected to see first thing in the morning. The shriek had come from Kitty, who had been dragged out of bed early to watch Kurt's experiment and decided to surprise Lance by coming over to the Brotherhood House, rather than having him pick her up like normal.

Rogue inwardly winced. The fact that she was dating Warren was going to be all over school by lunch, and she didn't even want to think about Kurt's reaction. Meanwhile, she needed to defuse the situation. "Good morning, everyone. Yes, Warren stayed the night. No, nothing indecent happened, calm down. Yes, he can cook, and yes, we do have less than an hour to get to school."

The last statement led to a scramble back upstairs to get ready, as Lance was the only one actually dressed. Hearing a yelp from Fred as Wanda hexed him out of her way, Rogue shook her head and gestured for Kitty to take a seat.

If news of Rogue's love life was going to be all over the school, then Rogue intended to make sure that at least some of it was correct. It didn't take long for the expected interrogation to start. "Like, you're dating? When did this start? How could you not tell me, and does Kurt know?"

Warren wrapped an arm around Rogue's waist as she buried her head in his shoulder for a moment, stifling a moan of dismay. Why were all the tolerable X-Men also the hyperactive ones? "Warren Worthington, meet Kitty Pryde: X-Girl. We met over Christmas during a fight with Magneto. Kurt knows, and I thought either he or Lance would have told you."

Luckily for all concerned, Lance chose this moment to rush back downstairs, schoolbag in hand. Bouncing to her feet, Kitty grabbed his hand and followed him out of the house, probably to grill him as they drove to school.

Watching them go, Rogue shook her head again. Dysfunctional their little family might be, but you had to love them. Beside her, Warren gave a quiet laugh. "Never boring with you, is it Rogue? I have to make an appearance back home before my parents send out a search party, so I'll see you tonight?"

Rogue reached up for a quick kiss. "Definitely. Have fun escaping from your well-meaning confinement."

* * *

Todd Tolensky had held a major torch for Wanda since the day she arrived, evidenced by comparing her to an angel, which his housemates still hadn't stopped teasing him about. His original attempts to woo her, such as pet names and beginner's flirting, had not been well met, and it had taken asking Rogue for help to figure out what the main problems were.

Part of it was that very few women like being called 'cuddlebumps', especially by someone that they are not yet dating, and while the rest of the Brotherhood had become used to Todd snacking on insects, Wanda hadn't, and found the habit hard to deal with.

The main problem, however, was that Wanda had been eight when Magneto had placed her in the asylum, and for eight years, her only contact with males had been the orderlies, Professor Xavier, and the other inmates. As a result, the fact that a boy would like her as more than a sister or a friend had never occurred to Wanda, so Todd's obvious attraction confused her.

Likewise, the only 'romantic affection' Wanda knew was a few faint memories of when her mother was alive, and in love with her father, Magneto. Given this example, and what Magneto had done to his own daughter, the idea of a relationship scared Wanda.

With this new understanding, Todd had backed off slightly, taking his courtship slowly. He gave Wanda her space, and stopped calling her pet names, but still popped up with the occasional gift, like a flower or a bag of the Hershey's chocolate that Wanda was developing a taste for. For her side, and having seen the interaction between Lance and Kitty, and Rogue and Warren, Wanda was slowly warming up to him.

Now was Todd's chance. Bayville High was holding a Sadie Hawkins Dance, but if the way Wanda frowned every time it was mentioned was an indication, she was having trouble with it. But hey, Wanda still had problems with large crowds, so being nervous was to be expected.

He had it planned out. With everyone going on about the Sadie Hawkins Dance, it wouldn't be hard for Todd to find an opportunity to carefully broach the topic, and suggest that Wanda might like to at least attend, even if she didn't want to make it a date. He had made his interest in Wanda clear, but while Todd would wait forever if he had to, the next move was hers.

* * *

Being carried to school at a speed just short of breaking the sound barrier was one way to travel, and it certainly beat taking a bus. Stopping in an ally just out of sight of Bayville High, the Maximoff twins walked the rest of the way.

Wanda left her brother in the quad, flirting with some girl and spotted Rogue as she dropped down from a tree, where she had obviously used Kurt's powers to teleport. Waving to her friend, Wanda headed to her locker, very preoccupied with other things.

Wanda was having trouble controlling her powers. Her hexes were linked to her emotions, and while she had made considerable progress, Wanda was currently feeling a bit of turmoil. First, there had been the incident of Rogue's boyfriend standing shirtless in the kitchen when she came down for breakfast, and now a School Dance was coming up, _that night_, and Rogue had explained that girls were supposed to ask boys.

This was Wanda's main problem. Several boys had hinted that she might like to ask them to the dance, and that was what had Wanda confused. What made them assume that she would even want to go in the first place? Evan, or Spyke, had been shot down instantly. Wanda was having enough trouble just opening up to the Brotherhood; there was no way she would go anywhere with an almost complete stranger, especially one her brother hated. The various other students had received the same treatment, for the same reason.

On the other hand, Todd had said that she might enjoy seeing what a school dance was like, whether she went with someone or not. Wanda knew that Todd liked her, and that he was willing to let her set the pace, understanding why she was reluctant to trust or open up to people. On the other hand, Todd had yet to mention her asking him to the dance.

Wanda may have had issues, but she wasn't stupid. Todd had shown his interest, proven that he wouldn't push her, and Wanda knew that she would have to be the one to make the next move. The problem was, she had absolutely no idea of how to proceed.

She saw the way Lance and Kitty danced around asking about going together, but they had known each other longer, and Wanda didn't have Kitty's temperament. In a similar fashion, she didn't have her Pietro's careless attitude about going with anyone who asked. Warren and Rogue were going together, but Wanda didn't know how Rogue had asked him.

Well, she would just have to go for the straightforward approach. Wanda's eyes narrowed as she looked up ahead and saw a group of students picking on Todd. The raven haired girl stalked toward the group, her stance and scowl unconsciously mimicking Rogue's Death-and-Destruction attitude in similar situations. The other students instantly bolted, and Wanda helped Todd to his feet, winning a grateful smile from him.

Deciding to just get it over with before she could lose her nerve, Wanda took a deep breath. "Hey, Todd, has anyone asked you to the Sadie Hawkins Dance? Would you be my date, if you're available?"

Given the way Toad lit up like a Christmas tree, Wanda felt it was safe to say that he would go with her. "I'd love to, Wanda. I'll make sure you have a nice night, I promise! I'll…"

Smiling herself, Wanda cut him off. "Just be yourself, and I'll be happy. I'll see you at lunch?"

Todd nodded furiously as he practically floated off to his next class. Tilting her head, Wanda watched him go, starting as Rogue walked up behind her. "So, you finally asked him?"

To Wanda's horror, she felt herself starting to blush. "Yes, is that a problem?"

Rogue grinned and slung an arm around her friend's shoulders. "Only if you don't have anything to wear." The stripe-haired brunette tried not to smirk as Wanda's blush turned to worried realization at the fact that she _didn't_ have anything to wear. "We'll be visiting the Mall after school, then?"

* * *

Trying to ignore the chaos outside her door, Rogue checked her appearance one last time as she waited for Warren to arrive. Lance had already left to pick up Kitty and Pietro had zoomed off to meet his date(s) at the dance. Toad had somehow convinced Wanda to ask him through several surprisingly pretty flowers, unexpected levels of paitence and sheer persistence.

Kurt had come over to ask his sister's opinion of his re-programmed holowatch, but had made the mistake of commenting on the outfit that Tabitha (Who had somehow conned Fred into going with her) was wearing, claiming that it made her look like a cross between a circus clown and a hooker, prompting the current chaos.

The girl in question had taken offence, and while Rogue had threatened to drain Tabitha unconscious if she started throwing cherry bombs, it hadn't stopped her from chasing the unfortunate boy all over the house. As Kurt was still refusing to teleport anywhere, he was stuck on his own two legs until Wanda hexed Boom-Boom into a wall or something.

Privately agreeing with the boys about Tabitha's outfit, Rogue smoothed a hand over her own outfit for the night. A long, form-fitting black silk dress and matching opera-style gloves kept her skin safely covered, while giving her a very elegant appearance. Rogue's hair was pulled away from her face, for a change, the top half fastened at the back of her head with a carved ebony clasp, then falling loose and free.

A glance out the window saw a very nice car pulling up the drive, and Rogue hurried out of her room to go down and greet her date, willing herself to stay calm.

Outside her door, she was met by Wanda, also visibly nervous. In a dark blue dress that reached just past her knees, tall black boots and a red choker, Rogue was of the firm opinion that Wanda had nothing to worry about. This opinion was confirmed by Toad's awestruck expression as the two Brotherhood Girls came down the stairs.

Accepting the rose Warren offered her, any worries fled Rogue's mind as the four of them left for the dance.

* * *

The loud music ended, to be replaced by a softer, slower song. Moving closer to Warren and laying her head on his shoulder, Rogue gazed around at the other dancers.

Lance and Kitty were in what resembled a blissful trance as they swayed together, while Scott was dancing with Taryn, who had asked him first, and looked supremely uncomfortable, constantly glancing over to where Jean stood on the sidelines. Jean, in turn was alternating between looking miserable, and shooting evil glares at Duncan, who was chatting with friends and ignoring her.

Wanda and Todd made an odd couple, as Wanda was at least two inches taller than Toad, and they were still trying to work out boundries. Still, they looked happy as they danced, a rather startling contrast to Fred, who was obviously reluctant to be on the dance floor. Given that Tabitha was still cheering and had not changed her dance moves from the previous, louder, song, Rogue couldn't blame him.

Warren spun her around as the song ended, and Rogue caught a glimpse of her brother, whose face was somewhere between 'deer-in-headlights' and 'I'm in heaven'. What Amanda had said to get that reaction, Rogue didn't know, but didn't really want to, either.

Tabitha disappeared out the door as another the song-track changed, probably to sulk in a bathroom, followed by a relieved Fred. To the dismay of all those still in the gym, however, the song had barely started before being interrupted by a commotion. To everyone's confusion, what looked like a portal was opening where Lance and Kitty were dancing. "What…? Lance, what are you doing?"

Backing away as the rift grew wider, Lance was just as confused. "It's not me, I swear!"

If Lance was capable of this, then Rogue needed to have a Serious Talk with him. A brilliant flash of light was the only warning before three dinosaur-like things jumped out.

One leaped for Kitty, who phased just in time. A burst of red energy sent another one flying as the one who had gone for Kitty was hit by a bolt of blue and tripped on it's own tail, knocked unconscious. Warren paled slightly, as a fleeing student nearly collided with him, and started to pull off his jacket. Rogue touched his arm, her eyes concerned. Looking at her, Warren smiled slightly. "He, they're being chased by demons; I doubt an angel will be much of a stretch, and it might get them moving faster."

Rogue nodded, feeling the earth rumble with Lance's power. "Ah'll borrow Jean's powers and scan for a clear way out. The others can more than take care of themselves."

Warren lifted into the air, flying to the doors as Rogue blended into the crowd. "This way! Follow me!"

The female population probably would have followed him into hell on looks alone, but for now everyone settled for finding the best way out of the school. If the one leading them away from the demons in the gym happened to have wings and look like something out of the bible, no one cared.

The majority of students burst from the school just as the X-Van pulled up. Out of the corner of her eye, Rogue saw Kurt and his date, Amanda, teleporting away, as the X-Van doors crashed open to reveal Wolverine and Forge. That was hardly surprising. Something like these monsters comes out of nowhere, and it was always bloody Forge. Rogue would kill him later.

* * *

Roughly ten minutes later, most of the students had dispersed, and the roars from inside had stopped. The X-Men stumbled out of the building, and promptly jumped as Warren dropped out of a tree nearby, wings once again hidden. Rogue made a valiant attempt not to laugh at their reactions, barely succeeding as she checked them and the approaching Brotherhood over. "Is everyone all rahght? No injuries?"

Wanda leaned on Todd, limping slightly because of a broken boot-heel. "We're all good, though Forge's health will soon be in question. You and Warren?"

Rogue tucked a lock of her ruined hairstyle behind her ear. "I'm fine. Kurt and his date made themselves scarce a few minutes ago. A few of the students were making noises about hallucinations and joining the church, but no-one got hurt."

Warren snickered quietly, used to the reaction. Spyke, Jean, Jubilee and Wolfsbane looked at him confusion, obviously in the dark about his identity. "Hey, Scott, who's the new guy?"

Lance joined them, followed by Fred and, unfortunately, Tabitha. "Man, don't you guys tell each other anything?"

Angel ignored that. "I'm Warren Worthington, occasionally known as the New York Angel. Pleased to meet you."

Rahne and Jubilee had stars in their eyes as Tabitha spoke for them. "The pleasure is all theirs, trust me. Bored of being stuck at first base yet, hot stuff?"

Wondering if the questionably-sane girl would ever stop trying to flirt with him, Warren backed away from the blonde, wrapping an arm very obviously around Rogue. "Physical isn't everything, Boom-Boom. Besides, where did you get the idea that Rogue couldn't touch?"

Tabitha blinked. "But I thought that was just with family members. When did stripe-head get that control?"

Rogue smirked. "Practice." She turned to the rest of the Brotherhood, "You guys all right to get back by yourselves? Warren and I should try to avoid being noticed until people manage to convince themselves that seeing an angel was just their imagination."

Wanda waved a dismissive hand. "We'll be fine. Just try to get back at a reasonable hour this time, all right?"

Rogue sent her a withering look and walked off, hand in hand with Warren. Was every school dance she attended doomed to result in chaos?

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If you want to see my inspiration of Warren and Rogue in the first scene, see the link below. Just remove the spaces.

_www. fairyvillage. com /c177/ The-Guardian-Figurine-by-Selina-Fenech- p1953.html_

_On another note, I don't know when I'll be updating next. My best friend was the victim of domestic violence, so I'm leaving in about two hours to help her take out an AVO. For obvious reasons, I doubt that I'll have much time to write in the near future._

_As always, Reviews and constructive critisism are appreciated.  
Thanks,  
Nat_


	23. Chapter Twenty One

_Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men: Evolution. Deal with it and don't sue.  
Summary: See previous chapters._

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Chapter Twenty-One

If Rogue ever found out who had told Mystique about the Kitchen Incident, or who had managed to spill the beans to Warren's parents that he and Rogue were dating in the first place, there was going to be trouble. Of the physically painful kind.

Rogue hadn't known that there were so many different ways to inform a person that boy-girl sleepovers were no longer allowed once you passed the age of thirteen, but she was pretty sure that she heard every one of them over the two-hour lecture that Mystique had given her before Rogue had managed to explain. That lecture was then followed by another hour of listening to why a proper girl should know a boy for longer than four months before allowing him to stay the night and how she should know what she was getting herself into.

As if that was not enough, Warren's parents now wanted to meet the newly-discovered love of their son's life, which led to four hours of Hellish Interrogation at one of New York's fancier restaurants.

Rogue didn't know if she or Warren had been more embarrassed throughout the night as Mr. and Mrs. Worthington fired question after question at her. Where was Rogue from? Where did she go to school? Did she think it was appropriate growing up with two Maternal figures instead of a mother and a father? Did she know about Warren being 'different' and was she only with him because of those 'differences'? Was their beloved son _sure_ he didn't want to look for a girl with better breeding? Or at least attended a properly exclusive private school? Did they think that they would have any kind of future together?

It was enough to make anyone scream, even without going into Rogue's complex family history, or the fact that she was the unacknowledged daughter of a Count, and was responsible for her current condition; trying to remain standing as Warren escorted her back to Irene's penthouse. Waiting for the elevator to reach Irene's floor, Warren gave her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry about all that, Rogue. I truly didn't know that it would be this bad."

For the right guy, even four hours of interrogation was worth it, and heaven knows you can't choose your parents. "It's fahne, Angel, and Ah know you went through the same with Kurt."

The elevator _ping_ed, and they stepped out into the corridor as Warren laughed. "Yes, and you didn't see the way he glared at me when he found out about me spending the night at the Brotherhood House. At least I don't have to worry about him dropping me off the empire state building if I look at you the wrong way." They reached Irene's door. "Goodnight Rogue."

Rogue smiled widely, kissing him goodnight. "Goodnight Warren. Bah the way, Mah name's Anna-Marie."

* * *

Wanda did not like being cooped up for any significant amount of time, but it seemed that everywhere she went lately; there were crowds, which she also had trouble with. In an effort to deal with both problems at once, and recalling one of her happier childhood memories, Wanda talked Rogue into going to a relatively nearby forest for a few days. Given that Warren's parents were currently calling every day or so to interrogate/'get to know' her, Rogue jumped at the idea. She and Warren often flew in the area, so Rogue knew it for a nice spot.

Not so nice about the area was that they hadn't been there two hours before bumping into a group of X-Men, who were apparently on an earth-science field trip. With the possible exception of Rahne and Kitty, the X-Men were not overly thrilled to see the Brotherhood Girls, either, especially after Iceman was hexed into a tree for the misnomer 'Brotherhood Babes'. Luckily for all concerned, a truce of mutual avoidance was quickly formed, with both parties deciding to stay out of each other's way whenever possible and convenient.

* * *

None of the caves in the forest were big enough to get lost in or really explore, but they made a wonderful sheltered campsite. A three-person camping tent from when Mystique and Destiny had taken Rogue camping as a child was hardly luxury accommodation, but it was enough for two teenaged girls.

Food was likewise less than fancy, making use of an old-fashioned jaffle-iron and tinned vegetables, accompanied by a small patch of blueberries not far from their chosen campsite. But hey, what was camping all about?

Everyone has enjoyed climbing trees at some point in their life, and with no one around that they needed to impress, Rogue and Wanda were free to indulge their childish sides. Almost an entire day was spent scampering among the tree-tops, with a quick hex or teleport ready in case they slipped.

Best of all, was the discovery of river that ran through the forest, with several branching streams.

Raised by the Mississippi, Rogue could swim like a fish, but while Wanda had received swimming lessons, her last opportunity to actually swim had been eight years ago. A clear stream with a small waterfall was the perfect place, even if they did wind up sharing with the X-Men.

Wading into a gentle area of the stream and ignoring Sunspot attempting to flirt with Wolfsbane nearby, Wanda slowly put herself through the paces that she remembered. Climbing up the rocks, Rogue flew back down the waterfall, and then turned on her back, closing her eyes as she drifted on the slow currents.

Seeing Iceman try to sneak up on Rogue, who was calmly floating, Wanda noticed a few of the salmon that the X-Men had been watching earlier. Smirking to herself, Wanda kept her hands below the water as she hexed one of the fish into Bobby's swim-trunks.

Swimming over to float beside her nearly-sister, Wanda smiled as she let her body relax. It was childish, but Wanda had not had an opportunity to be childish in a long time, and felt entitled. Besides, Iceman's resulting high-pitched shriek and Kitty's expression as she jerked in surprise and temporarily went under, was more than worth it.

Sometimes, X-Men were far too easy.

* * *

Having tapped into Fred's strength and Warren's wings, Rogue and Wanda were flying just above the canopy. Gliding on a thermal, the two girls nearly fell out of the sky at the sound of a truly awful noise that sounded like several farm animals dying at once.

Trying to hold onto Wanda and flapping desperately in an attempt to regain her balance, Rogue was interrupted again by a roar that sounded distinctly like Beast in a bad mood. If this was a stunt by the X-Men, someone was going to be in a lot of trouble.

The Brotherhood Girls drifted down into the branches of a tree, quickly starting to climb the rest of the way down the old-fashioned way. Rogue tapped into Sabertooth's enhanced senses as she reached the lowest branches and leaped off, landing in a crouch as she dropped to the ground.

Unfortunately, she had barely straightened up when Beast ran past, and a missed shot from a stun-gun hit her square in the back. Seeing this, Wanda had the good sense to stay in the tree as the next shot hit its intended target, who only made it a few more steps before a cage snapped up around him, and a group of men emerged from the bushes nearby, crowing about Bigfoot.

They crowded around the two unconscious mutants, and Wanda frowned from her hidden perch. This was not good, and Wanda really didn't want to see Rogue in the hands of a few deluded idiots, but there was no use charging in and getting herself in trouble as well. She needed help, and if Beast was captured, then the X-Men would be getting involved as well.

Boosting the probability of actually finding five teenagers in the entire forest, Wanda headed off.

* * *

Being shocked by a stun-gun had caused Rogue to temporarily lose control of her powers. Already tapped into Sabertooth, the high voltage had shaken her grip on only his powers, causing her to get a dose of memory and appearance as well, with the result that Rogue was now covered with fur.

Beast had apparently regained consciousness before her, and had hailed what appeared to be a scientist, who was phonetically repeating the word 'human', as if trying to coax them to repeat it. Rogue sighed, how did she get herself into these situations? Gods help her if the Brotherhood Boys found out about this. "If I say 'human', will it make you shut up and let me out of here?"

All things considered, Rogue took a perverse kind of pleasure when the scientist yelped and spilled his coffee mug.

* * *

Even with using her powers, finding the X-Men was easier than Wanda would have thought. Even in a wood, repeated shouting was hard to miss, as was a wolf that periodically switched back and forth from being a human.

Iceman was the first to notice her, and quickly pointed her out to the others, who ran up to where she stood. Before they could ask her if she had seen Beast, Wanda beat them to the punch. "There are a couple of Bigfoot hunters roaming around. They managed to shoot Rogue and Beast and have them captive somewhere. I suggest we get going."

For once, the X-Men didn't argue or demand an explanation, but followed Wanda to where she had last seen the Hunters.

* * *

Back at the Bigfoot Hunters' camp, Rogue's mood was not improving as Beast tried to simultaneously shock the scientist and sooth him into letting them go. "I have to admit, this cage is brilliant. I'm guessing some kind of convex polarity reversal?"

If the scientist's eyes got any bigger, they were likely to drop out of his head, Rogue thought with pardonable glee. "Oh! Uh –, Oh! Good heavens! You _can_ speak!"

A small cluster of hunters on the other side of the camp glanced in their direction. Rogue was perfectly well aware of just how menacing she looked as she bared her teeth at them. They quickly found something else to pay attention to, ignoring Beast's discussion with the scientist. "Am I right?"

In contrast to Beast's relative collectivity, the scientist was still stammering, almost incoherent. "Oh! Uh – yes! Convex polarity rev –. How do you know all of this?"

Beast smirked, rubbing his fingers together. "They'll give anyone a degree these days."

Rogue muttered something under her breath and rolled her eyes as the scientist stated the obvious. "You are not Bigfoot, are you?"

Rogue decided to be very proud of herself when she managed to not say something extremely rude, contenting herself with Beast's calm reply. "Now we're on the same page."

The scientist was back to slightly more sensible questions. "But, then who –?"

That did it. Rogue let go of her mounting temper and snapped at him. "Since we're not Bigfoot, does it really matter? I have a friend to be worried about, and I am going to enjoy watching her blast this thing sky high!"

Beast shot her a quelling glare, still talking in a calm, easygoing manner. "Hey, I'll even quote Shakespeare if you let me out."

Apparently you really did catch more flies with honey than with Toad's tongue. The scientist instantly started fishing for the keys to the cage, but was interrupted by the two hunters who had shot Rogue and Beast in the first place. "What do you think you're doing?"

Excitement turns everyone into a blabbermouth, as proven when the scientist instantly started chattering about the recent discovery. "It's the most amazing thing! They can –."

Beast loudly cleared his throat, gaining the scientist's attention, and then subtly shook his head. Luckily, the scientist took the hint and collected himself. "Er – uh, they're able to respond to sounds."

The hunters were not as impressed as the scientist had been upon hearing this revelalation. "Pack 'em up! We're leaving."

The scientist glared after the pair. Beast waited until they were out of hearing distance. "By now there are others looking for us."

The scientist instantly cheered up. "There are more like you?"

Rogue had a wide range of glares, most of them learned by observing Mystique. Settling for one that usually foretold Hellfire and Damnation, Rogue had the distinct satisfaction of seeing the scientist turn pale. Beast again tried to reassure him. "Not exactly. We're all special in a different way, but you can see why we need to hide from the world."

The scientist's tone changed from curious to determined. "Don't worry, we'll find a way to release you." He paused for a moment. "Uh, do you think any of your friends will be receptive to –?"

Rogue sighed. "What part of '_blast you sky high'_ did you somehow miss? No, we wouldn't."

* * *

After what felt like an hour of searching, Wanda and the X-Men reached what looked like an abandoned campsite. Looking around, Rahne shifted into her wolf form, sniffing the air as they ran after the tire-tracks that were quickly disappearing under the steadily worsening rain.

Panic-inducing situations, such as being crammed into a cage and tied to a trailer on a bumpy dirt road in the middle of a thunderstorm, were not a good thing when you were trying to access someone else's power. Nor was having said trailer blinded by rain and crashing into a gorge, to be promptly hit by a flash flood.

Fortunately, Rogue was familiar enough with her mother's power that, while she couldn't make a complete change, she managed to control herself and tap into Mystique's ability just as the cage broke away from the trailer and was swept away in the raging current. Trying not to start panicking again, Rogue managed to give herself gills just as they sank underwater.

Seconds later, the cage was surrounded by blue energy, preventing it from being swept any further away. Ten seconds later, a figure outlined in orange and black flames swam down toward them, ripping off the door of the cage and pulling Beast to the surface. Conscious and able to move under her own power; Rogue broke the surface just as the X-Men were running upriver to where the rest of the Bigfoot Hunting party was trapped.

Hexing her coat dry again, Wanda wrapped it around a shivering Rogue as the other girl got rid of the gills and tried to catch her breath. Slowly heading back upstream, they were about half way to their camp when they heard shouting, followed shortly by yells of fright, and then the sound of running footsteps.

The footsteps were too heavy to be any of the X-Teens, and Beast was not in a condition to be running for more than several meters at a time. This implied that it was one or more of the hunters, and Rogue was not in the mood to be captured again. The original two hunters burst out of the trees, only to skid to a halt when they caught sight of the two girls.

Wanda's hands and arms were covered with crackling blue energy, while Rogue had borrowed Mystique's power again and shape shifted into the form of a _Lord of the Rings_ vampire; bat-winged, iron-clawed, but mostly humanoid. On the run from Beast and the X-Kids, the two hunters ran straight into the very irate duo.

A Death-Glare on top of their already-intimidating appearance changed the hunters' fearful whimpers into screams of outright terror, and the two men bolted, followed by a hex that would ensure that they tripped over or were caught in every obstacle in their path as they fled back to their companions.

* * *

Changing back into her own form, this time without the excess fur, Rogue exchanged smirks with her non-biological sister as they headed back to their own campsite and packed up.

The trip had been fun, but there was a point when things became too exciting, and being chased by Bigfoot-hunters was one of them

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A/N: Ok, this chapter is shorter than most of the others, and I apologize for taking so long. I'll try to be quicker with the next chapter, which will be set during 'Hex Factor'.

_A/N: One of my few pet peeves is net-speak, and I honestly prefer no reviews to something like 'I luv the wA u write. update l8r.' Also, if you have a question for me to answer, give me some way of contacting you, be it e-mail or logged in for a review reply or PM. I'll happily answer questions, but I need some way to actually tell you the answer._

_Thanks,_

_Nat_

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	24. Chapter Twenty Two

_Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men: Evolution. Anyone who thinks otherwise is kidding themselves._

_Summary: See previous chapters._

_A/N: I am Australian, and actually know a few people who speak with Pyro's accent and slang. It sounds mostly normal to me, (sort of like my uncle, except quieter) so I won't be writing much of it in._

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Chapter Twenty-Two

Wanda laughed as she sat on the blanket underneath an apple tree in the park. Todd had taken her on a picnic for their one month anniversary, and had hopped up the apple tree, deliberately slipped, and managed to catch himself by hooking a branch with his strong legs.

The end result was Todd hanging upside down in front of her, grinning at his attempt to make her laugh. Controlling herself, Wanda hexed the branch to carefully set him back on the ground, taking his hand as he tucked a spring of apple-blossoms behind her ear.

Six weeks ago, if someone had said that she would be dating the green-skinned boy, Wanda would have suggested that they take up her old residence in the asylum. Eventually, however, Todd had convinced her to go to a school dance with him through sheer persistence, and Wanda had discovered that she actually liked the amphibious mutant.

It wasn't the deep connection and love that she saw between Rogue and Angel, or the fairy-tale romance that she had fantasized of as a child. Todd definitely wasn't the knight-in-shining-armor that she had dreamed of in the asylum, but there was definitely affection and potential for more.

Of course, the peaceful interlude was interrupted by a loud, obnoxious and heavily Australian-accented voice. "Oi, Shelia, in the mood for a hot date? Magneto wants ta see you. We're waiting down by the docks."

The last time Wanda had seen Magneto, he had been watching as the Asylum orderlies dragged her away. Magneto may have wanted to see her, but Wanda sure as hell didn't want to see him. To the contrary, she still harbored a lingering desire to hex him into the next century. Meanwhile, Toad was glaring at the red-haired newcomer. "Tough luck for him then, yo. Tell Magneto that we're not interested."

The Magneto-Minion glared back, forming a fireball in one hand. "Wasn't asking you, was I, Mate? How about it, Shelia?"

Wanda informed the Lackey exactly what Magneto could do with his offer, and what Pyro could do with his request, and then hexed him for good measure. Tied up in tree branches on the other side of the park, after his fuel-pack and any lighters had spontaneously corroded, he wouldn't be bothering them for a while.

* * *

The date ended shortly after that, with Wanda and Todd slowly walking back to the Brotherhood House, hand in hand. Despite Wanda's attempt to pretend that everything would be all right, however, both mutants were worried. "Pyro probably won't be coming after us for a while, but I still think we have a problem."

Wanda nodded reluctantly as they walked inside. "Yes, we definitely need to tell the rest of the Brotherhood, but…"

She was interrupted by a silver blur, indicating that Pietro had probably been watching for their return. "Tell the rest of the Brotherhood what? Some school jerks giving you a hard time? You're eloping to Vegas? You're too young! What, what, what?"

Pietro was speeding up as he talked, and was only stopped when a side-table levitated itself into his path. Stumbling flat on his face, Quicksilver glared at Rogue as she entered the room with Angel. Rogue calmly ignored him and turned her attention to the room's other couple. "Tell us what?"

Wanda sighed. "We ran into one of Magneto's lackeys, Pyro, at the park. He said that Magneto wanted to see me. Flame-boy is currently out of commission, but I very much doubt that Daddy-dearest will be happy to leave it at that."

Pietro picked himself up off the floor and zipped over to his sister's side. "Just when we were starting to hope that he would leave us alone, too. Don't worry, I'm stronger now, and I won't let him do anything to you again."

Wanda gave her unusually serious brother a slight smile, grateful for his (mostly un-necessary) promise. "Thanks, Pietro. Hey, do you know where Lance and Fred disappeared to? They need to hear this as well."

Rogue smirked. "Lance got suckered into being Shadowcat's taste-tester when Kurt bailed, and took Fred with him to test the theory of whether or not Blob really can eat anything."

The entire Brotherhood winced in sympathy. Kurt had cornered Rogue at lunch on Friday and begged her to hide him. Careful questioning of her traumatized brother (while attempting to coax him down from the Football goalposts) had revealed that Kitty was not a good cook, and had somehow produced a batch of muffins that bounced, and another batch that could be classified as Lethal Projectile Weapons.

On the up-side, Lance was going to owe her for the rest of eternity for getting him away from his culinary-challenged girlfriend. Walking over to the phone, Rogue dialed the X-Mansion, answered by an audibly relieved Avalanche. "Metal head is making waves, Lance. I want you and Fred back here now."

* * *

Five minutes later, the missing Brotherhood members pulled up, accompanied by Kitty, Kurt and Cyclops, although why the X-Men had come was still up in the air. Lance anticipated the question. "Sorry, Rogue; they followed us home. What's Magneto up to now?"

Wanda strode out of the Boarding House to join them. "Trouble. It happens to be personal business, X-People, so please follow yourselves back to your Institute."

Kitty and Cyclops instantly protested, insisting that if it involved Magneto, then it was everyone's business. Rogue sighed; they really didn't have time for this. She sent a pleading look at Kurt, who trusted his sister's judgment and nodded. "It is Brotherhood business, guys. Let's get back to ze mansion, _ja?_"

The X-Men left, grumbling, and the Brotherhood headed back inside, where Wanda and Todd shouted the details of what happened through Lance and Fred's closed bedroom doors as they changed into their uniforms. Lance emerged first. "You all know that this is probably a trap, right?"

Rogue and Wanda simultaneously rolled their eyes. "Of course it's a trap; I wouldn't expect anything less. On the other hand, I'd prefer to deal with it head on and take them out of action, rather than wait for Magneto and his minions to try to ambush us with something else."

Fred finally joined them, and the group headed downstairs. "Why the docks, do you think? There's too much daily activity for Magneto to hide anything there, much less a battle."

Warren shook his head. "There _was_ too much activity for Magneto to hide a battle there. The Dock Workers are holding a two-day strike for better working benefits, so the place will be empty." The Brotherhood stared at him in surprise. Warren frowned. "My dad was complaining about a delayed shipment. I do pay attention to what happens in the company."

Rogue smiled and kissed Angel on the cheek. "And that's a good thing. Now let's go kick Magneto's ass."

* * *

To their credit or not, the Acolytes were waiting for the Brotherhood in the open. Magneto was nowhere to be seen, but Gambit, the Nature Twins, Sabertooth, Pyro, Naiad and Colossus were standing in the middle of a large yard. The Brotherhood walked up, Rogue acting as spokeswoman. "Ya said that Magneto wanted ta see us. What's he up ta now?"

Colossus spoke for the first time Rogue could think of, revealing a soft, Russian accent. "Magneto says that family is important, and that he misses you both. He wants you back. Family should not be separated."

It sounded like there was more behind the Russian's words, especially as the last sentence held more than a trace of longing and sorrow. There was little time to dwell on it, however, as Wanda went bezerk, the distinctive blue light of her hexes sending everything not nailed down into the air. "Family? He threw me away! Monsters don't have families!"

Colossus looked as though he almost agreed about Magneto being a monster as he dodged a flying forklift, but did not press the issue.

Looking almost happy that someone else had started the fight, meaning that he was probably under orders from Magneto, Sabertooth leaped at them with a roar, only to have his ragged coat unravel and wrap around him. Trying to free himself, he snarled at Naiad, "Why are we wasting time on this brat anyway. Too young to be an old girlfriend."

Naiad ducked a snow ski, which narrowly missed his head and buried itself half-way into a neaby concrete wall. "Worse, the Psycho-Kid is his daughter."

Throwing several glowing cards at Blob, Pietro and Lance, who scattered to avoid them, Gambit snickered. "Gambit t'inks dat dey need some serious _famille_ counseling, non?"

Further remarks, especially those relating to mentality or counseling, were cut off by a glob of slime from Toad.

* * *

Flora took the offensive, turning into a large banksia tree and throwing cones at everyone. Thankfully, Fauna was on the other side of the Acolyte line-up, and could not currently be used as a wombat projectile. That trick was getting very old, even if you couldn't debate its effectiveness.

Rogue struggled as Gambit pinned her down, angled so that she couldn't kick him and properly covered to avoid absorption. Looking around for a way to catch him off guard, Rogue spotted the zip-loc bag that Kitty had left in the Jeep; specifically, the muffins inside it. Using Jean's telekinesis, Rogue yanked one of the muffins toward her, where it scored a bull's-eye on the back of Gambit's head.

Wincing at the nasty _crack_ it made upon connecting, Rogue shoved the unconscious Acolyte away from her, scrambling to her feet and looking around to see how the others were faring.

Fred was up against Sabertooth, the large boy's lack of agility mad up for with the fact that all physical attacks simply bounced off him, leaving the two matched strength for strength.

Pietro was running circles around Colossus, but being made of solid metal made a person a lot heavier, so Pietro's whirlwind tactic was not as effective as it was against other opponents. Colossus simply planted his feet, waiting as Pietro gathered speed, and then threw out a metal arm, clothes-lining the younger boy.

Knocked off his feet, Pietro went skidding over to where Fred and Sabertooth were locked in a struggle. Using a hand-signal that Rogue had made them practice until even Fred's forgetful mind could remember it; the two Brotherhood youths switched opponents.

Colossus was not so effective against the Blob, as both were matched in strength, and living metal had less of an impact against Fred's semi-invulnerability, leaving a bruise, rather than a broken bone.

As much as both would deny it, Sabertooth and Wolverine had a few things in common, such as short tempers and no sense of humor. With Pietro keeping up a running commentary, mainly consisting of taunts, as he moved just a bit too fast for Sabertooth to catch him, the Feral Mutant was quickly losing his focus.

This made him a much easier target when Quicksilver charged him at 200 mph, hitting Sabertooth like a battering ram and sending him into a concrete wall. Healing factor or not, this took Sabertooth at least temporarily out of the fight.

Angel was airborne, wrestling with a golden eagle, which promptly turned into a Wombat, Fauna's default for throwing people (literally) off-balance. Faltering momentarily under the weight, Warren promptly dropped it onto Colossus's head, sending them both down flat.

Under normal circumstances, Flora would have run to her sister's aid, but she was busy with Avalanche. The problem with being a plant, whether you were a redwood or a garden weed, was that you had to remain rooted in the ground, which was made rather difficult when facing someone who caused earthquakes.

Flora finally gave up and attacked Lance physically, but she was so reliant on her powers, and on working in tandem with her twin, that she had little to no experience fighting hand-to-hand on her own, allowing Lance to take her down with very little trouble.

Wanda was up against the pyromaniac, who had apparently taken the earlier hexing as some twisted form of encouragement to flirt with her. A stream of fire formed an image of Pyro and Wanda dancing together, before charging the Brotherhood. "Come on, Shelia! Bet that little frog boy can't do this!"

Wanda let out a shriek of fury, hexing him into the wall. Pyro shakily re-gained his feet and aimed at Toad. "Anyone for barbequed frog's legs?"

He sent a burst of fire at Toad, who was busy with Naiad, only to have it reflected back at him as the nozzles of his flamethrower crushed in on themselves, then disconnected and repeatedly whacked him on the head.

The drawback of Naiad's powers was that the aqua kinetic mutant needed to see what she was doing and/or aiming at. Usually, a blast of water was enough to deflect or absorb any slime that Toad could shoot at her, but having to quickly dodge when Lance sent Flora flying toward them proved enough of a distraction for Toad to score a direct hit on Naiad's face. This blinded the other mutant long enough that he couldn't dodge a kick from Toad's powerful legs, knocking Naiad out.

* * *

During the entire struggle, Magneto was still nowhere to be found. It seemed that he had the common sense to not show up, or at least stay out of sight, until he knew whether or not his estranged daughter was still out for his blood. Given that Wanda still wanted to kill him, it was really quite disappointing.

Colossus managed to regain his feet, glaring at a dazed Fauna, and looked around at his downed team mates. Picking up the still-unconscious Gambit and giving Rogue a small not of approval (it seemed Rogue was not the only one to find the Cajun annoying) be began to walk away. "It is time for us to leave, I am thinking. Come, Magneto's message is delivered."

Wanda looked ever-so-slightly too pleased with the results, but decided that it was un-necessary to gloat. She glanced at the setting sun, and then over at Todd. "You know, I think we still have time to finish our date, if you don't mind walks at sunset."

Lance rolled his eyes as Todd grinned. "I'm taking Kitty out to dinner. She really shouldn't be allowed in the kitchen."

Given that one of Kitty's muffins had taken single-frosting-ly taken out one of Magneto's best Acolytes, no one could argue the fact. Angel grinned, taking Rogue's hand, "There's a new restaurant opening nearby, if you don't mind doubling up."

Fred and Pietro exchanged disgusted glances; long-term romances were sickening. Maybe there would be something good on TV, instead, while the couples were out. There was supposed to be a Monster Movie Marathon sometime this week.

Piling back into the car as Angel lifted Rogue and she teleported them away, the Brotherhood decided that they could worry about the Acolytes and Magneto some other time.

_x_

_x_

_x_

_x_

_x_

_

* * *

_

A/N: Short chapter, I know, but there really wasn't that much that I could do with 'Hex Factor', given that it mostly consists of Wanda getting out of the Asylum and working with her powers, which I have already spread out over several earlier chapters. Sorry.

_A/N: In 'Mainstream', Gambit beats the entire Brotherhood in a manner of seconds, but in the cartoon, Wanda was elsewhere, and the Brotherhood didn't have anyone around to actually make them train in fighting, or working as a team. Heck, I'm not sure that they even had a clearly-defined leader. In this story, they do, so when you add in the Powerhouse girls, it makes for a much stronger team._

_Reviews are very welcome. *hint, hint*_

_Thanks,_

_Nat_


	25. Chapter 24

_Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men: Evolution, or any of the associated characters. I know it's been a while since the last update, but I would have expected this to be obvious._

_Summary: See Previous Chapters._

_A/N: It's been almost three years since the last update, and I have frankly lost inspiration. The X-Men: Evolution world took a spin at "Day of Reckoning", so that is where I will be finishing the fic. If anyone wants to take it up from there, feel free, and I'll even email you the previous chapters, as long as due credit is mentioned._

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**

Pietro was pacing back and forth in his room, his mind going in circles.

For most of his life Pietro had adored and looked up to his father. When Magneto had locked Wanda in a mental institution, Pietro had told himself that his father was only looking out for them. When Magneto had dumped him with the Maximoff family and disappeared, Pietro had reassured himself that his father would be back for him. Years later, Magneto had shown up to get him out of jail and sent him to join the Brotherhood. Pietro had thought that leading the Brotherhood would be his big chance to prove himself, to make Magneto proud. Boy, had he been wrong.

Pietro had tried to assert himself as the boss from day one, only to be informed by the then-only girl that she was in charge, so he'd better learn to deal with it. In spite of that, it was only a few weeks before Pietro felt more at home with the Brotherhood than he had in years with the Maximoffs.

Lance had a temper, and was very possessive when it came to his jeep. He and Pietro always seemed to be competing against each other, but he was a good guy, a good friend, when you got to know him. Toad had hygiene issues, and enjoyed snacking on insects, but he made an effort when he saw how much it affected the others, and they had worn him down to one shower a week, rather than once a month. Fred was always hungry and very sensitive when people teased him about his size. He wasn't what you would call smart, but he would always stick up for the rest of the Brotherhood and tried to control his temper around them.

Tabitha had been a Hellish Nightmare on two legs, but she had only been with them a few months, out of necessity, so she didn't count. Mystique was strict, but she cared about them, and looked out for their interests, and the boys viewed her as something of an aunt. Rogue had a biting sense of sarcasm, but she was also a great leader, and treated them like family, and had masterminded the plan to get Wanda out of the Asylum and teach her control.

Wanda. Pietro's twin sister, the person he could always count on to be there. His other half. Sure, she had been furious at what happened and nearly hexed him when she saw him for the first time in eight years, and Pietro had been frankly worried when she and Rogue formed a strong friendship, (no-one wants two girls with that kind of collective embarrassing stories swapping notes, after all) but Pietro had solemnly promised himself that he would never let her down again.

Now that Promise was being put to the test. Magneto had called, and asked for his help in exposing mutants, a plan that would involve lying to the rest of the Brotherhood and probably leading them into a trap at some point.

Not that Magneto would ever put it like that, of course, but Pietro wasn't stupid, and knew that the rest of the Brotherhood would never go along with such a scheme. Magneto had told him to think about the request/order, and get back to him with his answer. Therein lay Pietro's dilemma.

Regardless of what Magneto might think, the Brotherhood couldn't care less what he wanted, especially after Asteroid M, the 'Test' for Rogue and Mystique, and the incident in New York over Christmas. Magneto didn't control them, and unless they all decided that exposing Mutants was a good idea, the Brotherhood would have no part in Magneto's plan.

Besides, Joining Magneto would mean having to work with Sabertooth, who was the very definition of a bad hair day, that crazed pyromaniac, and the terrible 'Nature Twins'. Not to mention that infuriating Cajun who usually played messenger, and who kept talking in the third person and trying to hit on Rogue. If Pietro had to hear one more comment about the fascinating allure of his almost-sister while his father went on about 'the glory of Mutant-kind', Gambit was going to find himself in a lot of pain.

And if Gambit turned out to be able to dodge Pietro… well, then Pietro would just tell Rogue and the others what Gambit had been saying, and enjoy watching the show.

Taking a deep breath, he walked downstairs to where someone would be starting dinner soon. Since the entire Brotherhood gathered there to either supervise (Rogue and Fred, when it wasn't their turn) or try to sneak tastes (everyone else), he could tell them all at once.

* * *

As it turned out, Pietro's decision came at a good time, as the X-Men called just as he finished, asking if the Brotherhood had seen Wolverine lately. Apparently, he had disappeared without warning, something he never did. If nothing else, he always let the Professor know in advance if he would be gone longer than a day.

The X-Men had formed search parties when the Professor had looked for him and been telepathically blocked by some kind of interference. A search of the sewers turned up nothing but a slashed-up metal grate, un-naturally twisted.

Magneto.

Wonderful.

The Brotherhood was lounging around the living room while the Professor updated Mystique on the results of Beast and Storm searching the sewers. Rogue was absorbed in her latest book, while Toad and Wanda flipped through TV channels, absently taking turns to trip Pietro when he tried to get a look at Fred and Lance's cards as the three of them played Go Fish.

Iron Chef. "Seen it."

My Kitchen Rules, why were there so many reality cooking shows? "Seen it."

Wheel of Fortune. "Hate it."

My Little Pony, ugh. "Hate it more."

"Ooh, Rizzoli and Isles! Let's watch this!"

Lance grinned. "Got any threes, Fred? Figures you'd like a show with polar opposite female leads who always get the bad guy."

Wanda shrugged as Fred handed over a three of hearts. "It's a good show, even if the plots are a bit contrived, and it has some great one-liners. Eep!"

The Rizzoli-obsessed serial killer appeared on screen, and Wanda hid her face in Toad's shoulder, waiting until the scene changed before glaring at the others. "He reminds me of one of the creepy orderlies who wanted to experiment to see how my powers worked, OK? Shut up."

Pietro scowled, and the mood plummeted even further when Mystique walked back in. "Well, it looks like Magneto is up to something significant."

The Maximoff twins looked up from their different activities, eyes narrowing. "He's made a very bold move. He's abducted Wolverine."

Pietro choked as Lance stared. "Wolverine? That's crazy! Why would he want to do that?"

Mystique rubbed her forehead, trying to stave off the migraine that tended to appear whenever the subject of Magneto came up. "Why indeed? Pietro, he talked to you last, perhaps you can enlighten us."

Magneto had contacted him, but he never told anyone anything until seconds before they left on the mission, and certainly not until he knew that they were fully committed to the cause. "Hey, don't ask me! Apart from the call I told you about, I don't know where he is or what he's doing. Sorry."

Mystique leaned against the window, next to where her daughter was sitting. "He actually snatched one of the X-Men. Why? There's a larger strategy at work here, I can feel it. Now we are forced to make a move of our own."

Rogue sighed. "I hate to say this, but I think we need to team up with the X-Men on this one. They know Wolverine, and they have better resources."

Lance sighed, reaching for the phone. "I'll call Kitty and see if she can talk to the X-Geeks. Rogue, you might want to call your boyfriend. Even if he can't come down, he could probably do with a head's up."

Rogue nodded and headed for the kitchen, where the extension line was usually kept. The others stood to pack a few things. If they did end up joining forces, the X-Mansion was the logical place, as it had Cerebro… and a lot more room.

* * *

They arrived at the X-Mansion just in time to see the Nightcrawler take his place with a few other X-Men outside the Danger Room, covered in paint and looking dejected. "Whoa, what happened to you guys?"

Iceman looked up. "Wolverine installed a new program for training last week. No-one has lasted over ten minutes yet."

Rogue lifted an eyebrow in eerie imitation of her mother. "Impressive. I wonder if the Professor will let us try."

She ignored the baleful looks from the rest of the team, who weren't so keen on the idea. Until the program was over and the rest of the X-Men were out, it didn't really matter, anyway. "So, any idea about what happened with Wolverine?"

Kurt shook his head, looking unusually serious. "We can't find him until he somehow uses his powers and it seems like he hasn't done anything to make his healing kick in between his disappearance and now."

That was promptly proven wrong by a call from the Professor, who had been in Cerebro and apparently picked up a trace of Wolverine's Healing near the Docks in New York City.

* * *

"Team two, you'll find some familiar-looking orbs near the loading docks. Stay alert, Magneto brought friends."

Storm's voice was serious and professional, but also carried a note of well-hidden aggravation at Magneto. The Brotherhood recognized the same note that had been in Mystique's voice for the past few days. Part of Team two, Rogue really hoped that Gambit wasn't among the 'friends'; his mode of taunting was really annoying flirtation, and Restraining Orders were difficult when you didn't even know the offender's legal name. "Understood."

Storm moved on to the next group. "Team three, what's your status?"

Team three was Beast, Shadowcat and Toad, the latter two arguing in the background. "We're proceeding into the next sector."

Not far from them was Team one, consisting of Pietro, Lance, Wanda and Fred, Pietro keeping watch as the other three searched. "Empty. Man, I'm getting creeped out here. Where are they?"

Kurt was searching the metal orbs that had undoubtedly been the mode of transportation. Rogue hoped that Magneto and his minions enjoyed the smell of sulphur on their way home. He shook his head at Jean, Spyke and his sister. Jean spoke into her communication. "Confirmed, the orbs are empty."

Rogue frowned, her senses practically screaming an obscure warning. "You know, Ah don't get this."

Spyke joined the two girls. "Yeah, they gotta know that we're here."

Nightcrawler _bamf-_ed over. "Now what? There's no sign of them."

That statement was promptly proved wrong as an ace of spades floated between them, glowing. Rogue cursed as she dove out of the way. Jean shrieked, recognizing it from what the Brotherhood had told the X-Men. "Run!"

The resulting explosion drew the attention of the other teams, though the responses were someone different. Beast motioned for Kitty and Todd to follow him. "Let's go."

Lance looked more cheerful than he had since they had temporarily moved into the X-Mansion. "Finally, some action!"

Wanda was not so pleased, as Pietro swore and a metallic hum filled the air. "It's a trap!"

She was right, as anything metallic started flying around, one warehouse actually being taken apart to reveal Magneto's latest batch of minions.

Flora and Fauna were not present, at least, and neither was the Earth-powered mutant with the unpronounceable name. Songweaver and a blonde with super-strength, invulnerability and flight, on the other hand, were, along with Gambit, Sabertooth, and a man who could turn himself into living metal. An attack by the blonde sent Rogue flying through the air, to be thankfully caught by a pair of strong arms.

Warren held her long enough for Rogue to tap into Storm's power, and then let her go, diving at Songweaver. About to follow, Rogue froze in horror at the sight of a news helicopter, apparently filming the whole battle. Could things get any worse?

Apparently it could, as the blonde woman was back in a (literally) flying tackle. Hoping that her invulnerability did not extend to Rogue's absorption, the younger woman yanked off her gloves and grabbed on.

_Discovering her powers, and trying to keep them secret. Afraid to touch anything while she tried to adjusts to being strong enough to lift a small plane._

_People looking at her strangely when she was hit by a bus and walked away without a scratch. The joy of flight, and even that tainted by being her only method of escape from the stares and the whispers._

_A helmeted man in red and purple, with a cape and the ability to manipulate metal. The knowledge that while her powers may be unique, she was not alone!_

_A man with a Russian accent, nearly as invulnerable as she was, and just as lonely. She didn't care about Magneto's cause, but the cute Russian, Piotr, could use a friend, and that was a good enough reason to go with them._

"_Join me, Carol Danvers. You will be… Ms. Marvel…"_

The two interlocked women faltered just before hitting a building. "I don't want to kill you, but you're in the way, and I'll stop you however I have to!"

Rogue grunted with effort. She had never had skin-to-skin contact for so long with anyone except Angel, and Warren never put her in a position where she had to turn her powers on in self-defense. It had been a long time since she had used her powers so aggressively, rather than just a small tap to borrow a power or knock someone out! Aunt Irene had said that her powers could kill, if not properly controlled, and Rogue didn't want to find out if that was an exaggeration.

Rogue was losing control, fighting to simultaneously stay in the air, stay herself, and force Ms. Marvel's personality into a file. Ms. Marvel was still invulnerable, and nothing Rogue did would throw her off. "Ah don't want ta kill you either, but if ya don't let go, I won't be able to stop myself from drainin' ya dry!"

Despite Rogue's almost-plea, Ms. Marvel didn't let go, until she finally fell from the sky, unconscious. The steel-covered man, Colossus, broke away from his fight to catch her, taking her as far from the action as conveniently possible before going back. To her great dismay, Rogue found that she _couldn't _force the newly-borrowed powers back, and Carol's personality was proving too difficult for her to simply file away while in the middle of a battle.

* * *

It wasn't like Magneto to take this long to show up… _there!_

Pietro was in place next to his father, just in case. Large heavy objects tended to get thrown around when Magneto was involved, but up against Wanda's hexes, that could go badly, and they wanted Magneto alive to answer questions.

Rogue dropped to the ground, turning around just in time to come face-to-face with Gambit, who smiled and pressed a glowing card into her hand. Letting a random human in her head take the force of his Charm, Rogue threw the card back the way Gambit came and punched him straight in the face, following up with a roundhouse kick to the temple, knocking him down for the moment.

She grabbed Wanda, both of them flying toward a tall building a block or so away.

Murphy's Law being what it was, they almost ran straight into a News Helicopter. "Aw, man. We're doomed."

Wanda's eyes narrowed. "Then we'd better put on a show for the camera and get to Magneto before he does anything irreversible."

Rogue nodded, dodging the Helicopter and borrowing Jean's Telepathy. '_Um, guys? You just got caught on Live TV. Try not to do anything too destructive and take down the Acolytes as fast as you can!'_

Magneto had also seen the News Crew, and the Helicopter started to buckle under the power of Magnetism. Despite their impending death, the News Crew instantly trained the camera on Magneto, and were thus in a perfect position to see him get knocked flat by Wanda's hex bolts as Rogue threw her best friend at the ledge and caught the Helicopter, guiding it to another building. "This ain't the best place for y'all to be rahght now. Ah suggest moving somewhere far away."

Reporters must suffer from a severe lack of self-preservation. "Wait! Can we get a statement from you, Miss?"

It was very hard to surprise Rogue, but that man had just managed it. "Can Ah do it later? Ah have friends who are tryin' ta stop that guy's friends from tearing up the docks, so Ah'm a bit busy."

The man looked like several of his dreams had all come true at once. It reminded Rogue of the Bigfoot scientist. "Of course, we'll be right here! OH!"

Angel landed very ungracefully beside her, having wound up on the wrong end of Songweaver. "_Ugh!_ I'll give him Defying Gravity!"

Despite the situation, Rogue couldn't help but smile. "Later. Can you keep an eye on Wanda and Pietro for me? Neither of them can fly, and I wouldn't put it past Magneto to throw them off the building if it suited his purposes."

The reporter looked ready to faint. "The New York Angel, too! Can we – "

He was too late, as both Mutants had made themselves scarce.

* * *

Wanda's strategy was very simple: have Pietro run around to create a vortex to throw Magneto off, and then Hex him flat. It worked, stopping him straight in the middle of whatever-he-was-doing, but left them with the problem of how to get him down. Pietro couldn't take both of them at once, nor could Angel, and Magneto would be back to normal as soon as he got out of Wanda's Hexing range.

The problem was eventually solved by fusing Magneto's armor into a kind of metal straightjacket, and crushing the front of his helmet so that he couldn't see to manipulate anything, either. Angel was very reluctantly delegated to taking Magneto down to where the other X-Men were finishing off the Acolytes, while Pietro took his sister.

Songweaver might have been able to block Rogue's Absorption, but he couldn't do anything about her multitude of borrowed powers, and had been taken down by Mystique as he tried to defend himself. The rest of the Acolytes had seen Magneto knocked unconscious, and given it up as a loss, disappearing into the crowds that had started to show up.

Unfortunately, the News Crew had managed to get down from their own rooftop by now, and they weren't going anywhere until they got answers. Worse still, they had attracted friends. Mystique sighed. "If you want to get away without being mobbed, now is the time. Actually, it might be a good idea to take Magneto somewhere and get answers out of him before a bunch of humans with no idea what they're up against try to take custody."

Most of the X-Men left, leaving Nightcrawler and Shadowcat behind to back up the Brotherhood. Rogue echoed her mother's sigh. "Let's just get this over with."

The words were barely out of her mouth before they were mobbed my reporters and cameras, all shouting questions at once. Finally, Lance let loose with a small tremor; just enough to shut them up, and Mystique took point in all of her blue glory and Principle Darkholme No-Nonsense Attitude. "One question at a time, if you please."

There was a short pause before a female reporter piped up. "Is that a costume, or your natural form?"

Mystique sighed, and Kurt, also his naturally-blue self, laughed. "It is not a costume. Ve should have expected zat one, Mutter."

Another reporter shut his mouth, having been about to ask exactly that. He changed his question. "Who are you?"

Rogue took that one. "Science would call us Mutants, the next stage of Evolution. We are people just like you… with an extra chromosome or two that give us our abilities."

That prompted another babble of questions, one man finally shouting over the rest. "Are you superheroes?"

Toad laughed, jumping onto Fred's shoulders for a better view. "God, I hope not. Like Rogue said, we're just normal people with special gifts."

Another woman fought her way to the front, directing her question at Angel. "Last Christmas, people reported sightings of an angel. Did you come from Heaven? Are you truly an angel?"

Warren sighed. "Should have expected that, too. Yes, that was me. No, I'm not an angel, and Kurt isn't a demon, and that pick-up line is getting very, very old."

There were more questions, obviously, but Mystique cut them short. "Look, we just finished a fight for our lives, and we are exhausted. I'd like to get these young people back home. As long as you don't try to villainize us for the way we were born, we'll contact you later."

She shape-shifted into a giant eagle, taking Toad and a partially-phased Kitty with her. Kurt teleported away with Fred. Pietro lifted Wanda and sped away. Warren kissed Rogue on the cheek and flew back to his home, while Rogue picked up Lance and flew after her family.

Mutants were revealed to the world, and there was no telling how the world would react, but whatever happened, the Brotherhood would face it together.

**THE END**

* * *

_A/N: OK, as you can probably tell by the time gap between now and the last chapter, I lost my inspiration for this story, and this chapter will be the end, unless one of my readers wants to write a continuation or sequel. If so, feel free; just mention me in the Summary so that one of us doesn't get deleted as a Plagiarist. I'll even send you copies of the previous chapters so you can post the entire thing._

_It's been fun to write, and I appreciate all of the constructive criticism that you gave me._

_Thanks,_

_Nat_


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